Dry Needling Physical Therapy
Muscle pain and inflammation is sometimes so severe and disabling, that people seek physical therapy to relieve their symptoms. Instead of just taking medicines all the time, some people opt to use dry needling physical therapy, which is performed by trained physical therapists to relieve muscle contraction knots. Learn more about this technique, which you might consider including in your treatment plan.
Part 1: How Does Dry Needling Work? Muscle injury can result from acute trauma or repetitive use, resulting in inflammation and pain. With time, the injured muscle can become tense and contracted to keep itself protected from further damage. This inflammation and contracture can inhibit circulation, which may limit the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the injured tissue and at the same time, limit the removal of waste products from the affected site. The site becomes hypoxic (poor in oxygen) and this stimulates the body to produce scar tissue (fibrosis). This process results in the muscles’ reduced ability to function properly and can also cause irritation of surrounding nerves. The painful site with contracted muscle fibers become a myofascial trigger …show more content…
However, some acupuncturists argue that dry needling is somewhat related to acupuncture, which requires minimal training and re-branded with a new name. But one argument states that trigger points are not the same as meridians or acupuncture points. However, in 2006, a Mayo Clinic acupuncturist concluded that the two systems are 90% in agreement with each other. Recently, experts from the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine described dry needling physical therapy as a form of