Get the Needle
When muscles are under strain for prolonged periods (either due to injury or posture) they can develop 'knotted areas', sometimes referred to as 'trigger points'. These can be very sensitive to touch and refer pain to other areas distant to the trigger point.
One of the ways we treat this is using acupuncture needles (thin solid steel needles) through the skin into the trigger point to stimulate the muscle and try to induce it to relax. This is called dry needling, as no fluid is passed through the needle into your body.
What kinds of pain does it treat?
Dry needling is used to supplement our other therapies - when the muscle is very tender, perhaps too tender to massage, or when we feel the pain experienced is caused by a muscle trigger point. In our experience it can help to increase movement, decrease spasm and scar tissue.
What are the risks?
Adverse effects are very minor:
• Soreness during and after treatment
• Minimal bleeding
• Not so useful in patients who have a fear of needles!
Dry needling is a very safe treatment. We have been trained in ensuring we deliver the therapy safely - please only visit a trained practitioner.