Dry needling is a safe, effective treatment that eases muscular pain and trigger points. Performed by physical therapists with advanced training in anatomy and musculoskeletal dysfunction, this treatment uses a thin monofilament needle that penetrates the skin and stimulates underlying muscular trigger points. Typically administered in conjunction with electrical stimulation directly to the underlying muscle through the applied needle, clients typically see immediate results.
Trigger points are highly localized, taut bands in muscle fibers that restrict motion, disrupt function, refer pain or cause tenderness. With this LifeMotion physical therapists can decrease tightness, increase blood flow, and reduce pain, often in a single visit.
“I have been practicing for over 20 years and I can say that functional dry needling is one of the most effective and important tools I have added to my treatments to reduce muscle pain and improve function,” Says Ryan Smith, DPT, MBA, OCS, Founder of LifeMotion. “I have seen remarkable results for a variety of conditions that are typically tough to treat in only a few sessions.”
Watch this video to see it in action >
How Dry Needling Works
Dry needling uses fine, short, stainless steel Filiform needles that don’t inject fluid into the body. As your LifeMotion physical therapist inserts the needles, knotted muscles are stimulated causing a twitch response that rapidly depolarizes the muscle fibers.
This twitch signals reduced activity, allowing muscles to relax and pain to decrease. While the duration of treatment is determined by your specific condition, typical treatments last only a few minutes.
This Treatment Reduces Pain
Shoulder, neck, elbow, heel, hip, and back pain respond well to dry needling. Even so, dry needling is often part of a broader physical therapy regimen which includes other physical therapy treatments.
Patients often tell us they can feel a difference after just one treatment. That’s because at LifeMotion your treatments are only performed by one of our skilled therapists.
What Dry Needling Isn’t
While it uses similar tools, dry needling is not acupuncture. Acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine’s principles of holistic treatments. Dry needling, on the other hand, restores muscle function using tested Western medical practices. In many ways dry needling is a natural extension of LifeMotion’s hands-on physical therapy.
Want to see how it works? Click here.