Your Only Limit Is You

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Your Only Limit Is You -

Dry Needling is a treatment modality that we use for pain and movement issues that are associated with Myofascial Trigger Points. It can also be helpful in the treatment of more chronic conditions by adding in a new sensation to the Pain Pathway. The needles will stimulate your muscles and this can cause them to contract or twitch. The end goal of the treatment is to reduce pain and to increase your Range of Motion. As a treatment, it is always used as part of a larger treatment plan and process; typically, it is used alongside Exercise Rehab, Stretching, Soft Tissue work and other modalities.

What are Trigger Points? - Trigger points are knotted, tender areas that develop within your muscles. They are highly sensitive and can be tender to touch at times. Not only this, but they can also be the cause of referred pain. Referred pain is when you have an injury or ailment in one area of the body, but you feel the pain sensation in another. This happens due to the fact that all of the nerves in your body are connected through one larger network.

What does it do? - Dry Needles are known to decrease tightness, increase blood flow and reduce both local and referred pain. Solid needles are used, meaning they do not contain any medication.

When your muscle is overused, it goes into an energy crisis where the muscle fibres are not getting a sufficient blood supply. When there is a reduction in blood supply to a muscle, your muscle will struggle to return to its original resting state post exercise. When this happens, the tissue near the trigger point becomes more acidic, your nervous tissue becomes sensitised and this in turn makes the area sore and painful.

Stimulating a Trigger Point with a needle will help to draw back the original blood supply, flush out the area and release the buildup of tension. The sensation can also stimulate your brain to release endorphins which promotes pain reduction.

Some people can feel an improvement in pain and mobility immedietly post treatment. Some people can require multiple sessions.

Does it hurt? - Prior to treatment, your Trigger Points can be sore to touch so you may feel some discomfort while your therapist is palpating (feeling) to find them. There is the possibility of feeling some discomfort during the treatment. As the needle is so small, sometimes you wont feel the needle entering the skin, and sometimes you can have a pricking sensation as it breaks the skin.

When the needle is in the Trigger Point, it has the potential to be painful and to cause a twitch response.

After treatment, you can feel some tightness and some soreness around the insertion site of the needle - At this point, it is important to keep your activity and your mobility up.

Who cannot be Dry Needled? - The following are reasons as to why you may not be able to be Dry Needled:

Pregnancy
An Inability to Comprehend Treatment
A Fear of Needles
Have a Compromised Immune System
Have Just Had Surgery
Are taking Blood Thinners

What happens before treatment? - Your therapist will go over your Medical History with you to ensure there are no Red Flags to treatment. There will then be a Physical Exam to ensure that Dry Needling is the appropriate treatment for you. If the therapist believes you are a candidate, they will then explain the treatment process to you.

What happens during the treatment? - Your therapist will put on gloves and sterilise the treatment area. The needles should always be sterile, single-use and disposable. Your therapist will then hold the needle in one hand, and use the other hand to palpate the area and find the Trigger Point. Depending on the treatment needed, the needle can remain in the tissue for as little as 2 seconds to 20 minutes.

During your first appointment, your therapist may use as little as 1-2 needles. At this point, they are still gauging how your body will react to treatment. When they have determined your response to treatment, they may begin to use more.

During the treatment, you may feel soreness and twitching. These symptoms are normal and a sign that your body is reacting well to treatment.

What happens after treatment? - Your therapist will remove the needles and dispose of them in the sharps bin. You will then get up slowly - sometimes you can feel dizzy from lying down for so long. After treatment, make sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.

You may experience increased muscle soreness post-treatment. It is very important that you keep your movement and mobility up at this point.

There is also the possibility of some bruising post treatment.

Potential Side Effects - Side effects are rare, but the potential side effects are listed below: