Chronic back pain can seem challenging to treat because of the variety of possible causes. Although multiple massage therapies may work for your pain, lesser-known traditional treatment methods may be the key to relieving muscle discomfort and tension.
Dry needling is known to provide relief from tension caused by multiple conditions. It uses in-depth knowledge of trigger points to target specific points connected to your tension and discomfort. The benefits of dry needling are wide-ranging, but with the help of an experienced practitioner, you can tackle your specific health and wellness concerns.
What is Dry Needling?
When seeking dry needling treatment, it’s essential to understand the difference between dry needling and acupuncture. Acupuncture relies on the ancient Chinese concept of “chi” energy and the idea that interrupted chi flows are often responsible for discomfort and weakness in the body.
Dry needling is based on Western science and anatomy and hones in on specific aspects of the muscles, nerves, and joints to treat the problem. It focuses on muscle tension instead of trying to treat other conditions.
Both acupuncture and dry needling involve inserting needles at similar trigger points in the body to achieve the desired results in your muscles. However, the overall training and theory behind these two forms of treatment are different, and practitioners of each method approach your treatment plan differently.
General Benefits of Dry Needling
By inserting needles precisely at trigger points in the body, the practitioner can elicit a specific contraction response in the muscle. This response involves a chain reaction of events that create the result of decreased pain. Leaving the needles in place for some time helps the muscles at the trigger points react for long enough to be effective.
The reflex causes muscles to reduce their spontaneous electrical activity, which in turn helps decrease pain. The reflex also causes increased blood flow and oxygenation and a decrease in compounds that transmit pain signals.
More research is needed to help determine exactly why dry needling works the way it does. However, the reactions themselves are well-understood, making it a safe and effective treatment method for many conditions.
Conditions Dry Needling May Treat
Dry needling may help relieve multiple painful injuries and conditions. Repetitive motion disorders reduced range of motion, and scar tissue buildup may have their effects minimised through dry needling, especially if they haven’t responded well to massage therapies.
Short-term injuries like sports injuries and whiplash may also be a good target for dry needling. Although this largely depends on the location and severity of the injury, dry needling at trigger points may help loosen the tense muscles around the injury and relieve discomfort.
Are There Side Effects to Dry Needling?
Dry needling usually involves a small amount of inflammation at the needle insertion site of the trigger points. Mild bruising or bleeding may occur, although this is not common due to the small needle size. Discomfort is usually minor and fades within 1-2 days and may subside faster with light activity or stretching.
The relief provided by the dry needling treatment usually continues for weeks. This makes any short-term side effects well worth it, especially if you’ve been struggling with body aches for months.
Broad-Reaching Benefits
The benefits of dry needling can have huge effects on your activity level and overall quality of life. Pain subtly affects your posture, willingness to exercise, and speed as you complete your work and chores. When your ability to sit up straight or exercise well is compromised, this creates a long-term cycle of poor posture and fitness that will only exacerbate the pain.
By treating the problem, you can tackle your responsibilities and hobbies with renewed vigour. This is especially true if you enjoy sports and working out. Even if exercise generally gives you a chance to stretch out and relieve your muscle tension, discomfort can slow you down and keep you from performing well.
You may also notice benefits if you have a job that requires you to sit in a chair for long periods. The research around desk work shows that even sitting in ergonomic chairs may put a strain on your back, neck, and shoulders over time. This stiffness can be exacerbated if you work on a laptop or have your computer monitor at too low of a height.
Dry needling can be part of a holistic approach to comfortable living that helps you move more freely while your body heals. An experienced dry needling practitioner will also be able to give you tips and next steps for keeping your body as healthy as possible.
Choosing Your Dry Needling Practitioner
Whether you’re recovering from a sports injury or dealing with chronic back pain, you need an experienced dry needling practitioner who understands the nuances of this craft. Wayne Massage offers multiple natural holistic services, including dry needling and traditional massage. This makes us your go-to source for muscle relaxation and treatment for a wide variety of injuries and conditions, including both chronic and acute injuries around trigger points.
We have three practice locations in Sydney, so you can get to us quickly without disrupting your daily schedule. Our friendly staff makes sure you are comfortable even if you’ve never experienced dry needling before.
Call us or send us a message to schedule an appointment or ask us about the benefits of dry needling.
- Hunter Branch: (02) 8073 9376
- Town Hall Branch: (02) 8073 9382
- Kings Cross Branch: (02) 8073 9281
