Feeling tired but can’t sleep?
In a bad mood because of your headache?
Got tight muscles but won’t stretch out?
Acupuncture & Dry Needling:
What’s the Point?
Acupuncture is traditionally a Chinese medicine technique that involves the use of fine needles to stimulate points on the body to help alleviate pain and treat a variety of medical conditions.
In Western Medicine, we use a couple of different variations both still using needles but targeting different points on the body.
It is one of the many skills that your therapist might use as part of an integrated approach to the management of your pain and inflammation.
How does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture works through the belief that the human body has 12 major pathways called meridians – each linked to specific internal organs and organ systems.
Acupuncture involves fine needles inserted at certain ‘acupuncture’ points to restore the balance of energy (also known as Qi – pronounced ‘chee’) which when unbalanced is believed to cause pain and illness.
Benefits of Acupuncture
| 1. Promote Relaxation
2. Improve Sleep 3. Boost your Energy 4. Decrease Muscle Pain 5. Improve Mental Health
|
6. Boost your Immune System
7. Relieve Headaches 8. Improve Digestion 9. Helps with Menstruation/Menopause related disorder 10. Helps keep you HEALTHY |
How does Dry Needling Work?
Dry Needling is based on the theory that when trigger points develop in the soft tissues, they lead to neuromuscular dysfunction, which results in pain, decreased function and increased stress on the surrounding soft tissue structures.
Studies have shown that needling deactivates the trigger point and facilitates the muscle to relax and lengthen, alleviating the original problem as well as the secondary, referred pain area.
Benefits of Dry Needling
| 1. Loosen Tight Muscles
2. Improve Range of Motion |
3. Reduce Pain
4. Promote Healing at Area of Injury |
What does it feel like?
As the needles are inserted you may feel a slight pin prick, some patients feel nothing at all, followed by a deep ache, tingling, warmth or mild discomfort.
The warm heavy sensation at and around the needle is referred to as “De Qi” and is a sign that the body’s inbuilt pain relieving mechanisms are being stimulated.
For dry needling, if the therapist is needling into a muscle trigger point, there is often a ‘twitch’ response (the muscle jumps), which is a good indication the needle is in the affected area.
