Ease Muscular Pain Today with The Safe Dry Needling Technique
Dry needling is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive therapeutic technique provided by licensed physical therapists at Pinnacle Physical Therapy & Personal Training in Columbia, SC, to reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, and enhance mobility.
The technique has been proven to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal problems, including acute and chronic injuries, overuse injuries, shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, sciatica, headaches, muscle spasms, muscle strains, tendinitis, knee pain, hip pain, fibromyalgia, tennis or golfer’s elbow, and more.
How Does Dry Needling Work?
While carrying out dry needling, your physical therapist will insert thin, filiform, sterile needles through the skin to treat the underlying muscular trigger points with the aim to manage neuromusculoskeletal pain and correct movement impairments.
These trigger points, commonly referred to as muscle knots, are hyper-irritable spots located in a tight band of muscle fibers. They can result from trauma, overuse injury, or inflammation. They are sensitive to touch, and touching them might cause pain to other body parts.
When dry needling is applied to a trigger point, it produces a local twitch reaction, which leads to a decrease in muscle activity. This process improves blood flow, promotes relaxation, reduces muscle tension, and alleviates pain.
Is Dry Needling The Same As Acupuncture?
There is a common misunderstanding that dry needling and acupuncture are the same. While there are some similarities, dry needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research, while acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese alternative medicine.
Dry needling focuses on stimulating the trigger points to reduce muscle tension and pain, whereas acupuncture is aimed to relieve pain and discomfort by regulating the flow of energy or chi.
Does Dry Needling Cause Pain?
Most of our patients experience little to no discomfort when undergoing the dry needling procedure. Our highly-trained physical therapists try to make the process as painless as possible.
However, some patients may still experience a “twitch response” with the insertion of the needle, which can be similar to a quick muscle cramp or ache.
The dry needling technique may also result in muscle soreness that can be felt up to 24-48 hours. It can be treated at home with the application of heat or ice packs and drinking plenty of fluids.
How Does Dry Needling Benefit Me?
If you are suffering from a musculoskeletal problem, then dry needling could help you. Many of our patients have achieved pain relief when dry needling is combined with traditional exercise-based physical therapy procedures and advanced manual therapy techniques.
Our Columbia, SC physical therapists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to assess the nature of your condition and determine whether dry needling will be the right treatment approach for you.
Willing To Lead a Pain-free Life?
Dry needling offers a wide range of benefits. It speeds up the body’s natural healing process, enhances blood flow, reduces pain, improves mobility, and relieves muscle tightness.
If you are interested in our dry needling services, contact Pinnacle Physical Therapy & Personal Training today to request an appointment and achieve pain relief as quickly as possible.