Dry needling is an effective technique to help reduce pain. In essence it works to reduce muscle and fascia related pain by relaxing tension knots, called Trigger points. These trigger points are relatively small but can cause significant discomfort, pain as well as reduced ability to move the affected body part.
Why do Trigger points occur?
Trigger points occur in the body for several reasons. This can be due to overloading a muscle by putting excessive strain on it by doing repetitive work.
Let’s use the following example:
Shoulder and neck pain after doing the Spring cleaning.
Anne decided to tackle the house last weekend and did two full days of Spring cleaning that involved lifting, bending, scrubbing and cleaning windows. Then two days later she noticed severe pain in her right shoulder and arm. It felt like a trapped nerve and it was keeping her awake at night and did not respond to anti inflammatories or pain medication.
This type of pain problem results in pain from the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Often it mimics a nerve type pain but thankfully it stems from the rotator cuff muscles that have been overloaded from the busy weekend of Spring cleaning. This shock to the system causes the muscles to tighten and become painful.
Trigger points can also occur due to stress. Stress comes in various forms and is often related to work, family or financial worries ( referred to as environmental). The knock on effects of emotional stressors can result in altered breathing patterns. This in turn can cause muscular tension that results in local or widespread pain that is difficult to explain.
How Can Dry Needling Help?
Dry Needling helps by relieving excessive tension in the affected body part (s) which results in a significant reduction in pain. With informed consent from the client the needle is inserted into the tissues which have been identified as being the true source of the problem.
See this video on how Patrick demonstrates Dry Needling on Steven’s rotator cuff .
The client reports a reproduction of their pain and often feels an associated muscular twitch. This is actually a good thing. People often feel immediate relief from the severe pain. They typically require four to five repeat sessions for a full resolution of the problem.
For more information on Dry Needling you can contact us or click the button below to request to speak to a Physio where they will happily answer any questions you may have.