Dry Needling? No way I hate needles!
Dry needling is another way to manage pain (remember managing pain does not fix the problem). It focuses on addressing trigger points. Trigger points are the “knots” you feel that cause pain. Sometimes the pain is localized to the area of the “knot” while other times the pain can be referred to other areas, i.e. headaches.
What is a Trigger Point?
Think of it as a good thing in a poor functioning system. It is a neurological way of protecting a certain part of the body. If certain muscles around a joint are not moving and coordinating correctly, trigger points can be seen in muscles surrounding that joint.
Why are we Getting Rid of Trigger Points if They are a Protective Mechanism?
For one, getting rid of trigger points gets rid of pain, and people don’t like pain. If a trigger point is dissipated by dry needling but the function around the joint is not fixed, the trigger point will return most likely the same day. This is the problem with band-aid care. An adjustment and soft tissue work are great but if the function is not fixed the problem will not resolve (this is a soapbox for another time). The treatment should be creating an ideal function around the joint which in turn gets rid of trigger points and pain. Dry needling and other manual therapies should be used as an adjunct to creating proper function. Using manual therapies alone may feel good but is a waste of time for the patient in the long run as their problems will not be fixed.
Why Dry Needling?
Dry needling is the easiest way to address stubborn trigger points. It is combined with adjustments is the best way to get these muscles to immediately relax. To get the most out of treatment sometimes it is wise to get rid of the trigger points before changing motor patterns, or the way you move. This all depends on patient presentation including pain presentation and ability. Once again, needling of any kind does not fix the problem but should be used as an adjunct to fixing the biomechanical fault.
How Does Dry Needling Work?
Dry needling works by disrupting the constant neurological signaling causing the trigger point. This disruption of signaling is because of multiple factors including increasing mechanoreception, damaging the motor endplate, manipulating fascia, increasing blood flow, increasing cortical awareness of the structure, or a combination of these.
Is Dry Needling for you?
If you have muscular pain (which a lot of times is because of trigger points), then yes!- but only in the correct context! The Rehab Docs uses dry needling to facilitate the treatment process. It is a great tool if you use it correctly!
Contact us today to learn more.