Dry needling and its benefits
Dry needling is a modern, low-risk treatment that involves inserting small needles into specific points of the body to relieve pain and aid the body’s recovery process.
While it may not be as well-known as another treatment involving needles — acupuncture — dry needling benefits match many therapies in their scope and number.
It’s well worth investigating what this treatment can do for various conditions, so read on to learn more about dry needling and its many benefits.
What does dry needling do?
As mentioned, dry needling is the practice of inserting fine needles into the body. Note that the “dry” aspect of dry needling means that no liquid is injected at any point.
The needles are typically placed in areas of knotted or tight muscle. The body responds by stimulating blood circulation and changes in the chemical balance and neural pathways. At this point, the body is starting its own healing process so that areas of muscle soreness and tension are naturally soothed away. Although they seem very similar, dry needling differs slightly from acupuncture.
Dry needling is a great form of therapy for targeting particular muscular issues, as well as dealing with whole-body conditions such as fatigue and promoting optimum functioning for athletes and busy people on the go.
What is dry needling good for?
Dry needling primarily helps with any issues to do with the musculoskeletal system. It can ease any stubborn tension or tightness in the muscles — for example, the chronic stiff neck and sore shoulders that are associated with sitting for long periods in uncomfortable positions.
Dry needling is also used to treat sports injuries such as golf or tennis elbow, shoulder injuries, and all sorts of muscular strains. Additionally, it can help treat migraine, sciatica, chronic back pain, and spinal issues.
What’s more, it can stimulate blood flow, improve muscle function, and address mobility issues to prevent the onset of further problems and keep the body working to its best ability.
Dry needling can be used in conjunction with a programme of physiotherapy treatment to help relieve pain, aid rehabilitation or manage chronic conditions that involve the musculoskeletal system.
The benefits of dry needling
Safe: Some people who undergo dry needling treatment may experience some minor side effects like small amounts of bleeding or bruising. But, as long as therapists practise safe dry needling (such as using sterile needles), it is considered a low-risk treatment. Let’s explore some of the benefits of dry needling:
Precise: Before a dry needling session, your therapist will assess your muscles and any issues and will insert the needles at specific trigger points. This makes dry needling a precise treatment, so it offers targeted and effective relief.
Natural and holistic: Dry needling stimulates your body’s own healing responses, making it a natural treatment. It‘s also considered holistic as it not only targets specific issues but helps to promote healing throughout the body.
Stimulating: Research has shown that dry needling helps to stimulate and switch on weaker muscles that aren’t functioning correctly.
Quick-healing: People who have undergone dry needling report rapid relief from pain and the restoration of function and mobility as the body initiates its own healing process from the very start of treatment.
Complementary: Dry needling works well alongside other treatments that promote healing and restoring function, such as pain relief management and manual therapy.
Know more about this health-enhancing treatment
As treatment with many benefits, dry needling offers a safe and effective way to deal with both acute and chronic issues. Please see our dry needling page or schedule a consultation with our experienced therapists if you’d like to know more about this health-enhancing treatment.