Dry Needling

When it comes to treating various neuromuscular conditions, our physiotherapy department relies on many forms of treatment to reduce of pain and improve mobility. Our physiotherapists are highly trained in the functions and movement of the human body. One of the more effective treatment techniques is dry needling.

Dry needling is a relatively new technique that has proven to be quite effective in a number of conditions. It is a form of trigger point therapy used to treat dysfunction of skeletal muscle and connective tissue. It is proven to assist in the healing of both functional and structural damages.

How Dry Needling Works

Trigger points are areas of skeletal muscle that radiate pain in an injured area. These spots are also known as tender points that are actually small knots within skeletal muscle. When a trigger point is subjected to a certain level of pressure, pain radiates in a manner that mirrors the initial pain complaint.

Trigger points are identified by the patient description of pain and confirmed through physical examination. An experienced physiotherapist will know exactly where the trigger points are located by the areas that are painful to the patient.

Trigger point injections have been used in both traditional and alternative medicine. Normal trigger point injections will inject a small amount of steroids or anesthetic into the muscle relieving the pressure. Unfortunately, some patients don’t do well with the medication injected.

With dry needling, there is no medicine involved. A very fine acupuncture-type needle is inserted into trigger points. This will relax the muscle and relieve the pressure without the side effects occasionally suffered from traditional trigger point injections.

Benefits of Dry Needling

The dry needling technique has proven effective for pain relief and improving your general health and wellness. In relieving trigger points, it can reduce muscle tension which in turn improves range of motion. It has also successfully reduced pain levels.

Additional benefits include increased blood flow. There is also proof that it can actually repair cells and release endorphins into the system. Patients have also seen an improvement in range of motion.

The physiotherapy department at Perth Wellness is dedicated to improving a patient’s quality of life. Dry needling is just one of many tools used to help you get your body back to its optimal wellness following an injury or illness that requires rehabilitation.

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