DRY NEEDLING
Dry needling is an emerging treatment for musculoskeletal pain that’s been gaining popularity in the medical community for many years now. Dry needling is a technique that involves inserting thin, solid filament needles into the skin and underlying muscle tissue to stimulate and release trigger points in the body.
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Based on the principles of Eastern Medicine, Dry Needling aims to stimulate the healing and damages tissues, reduce pain and muscle tenstion, and improve movement patterns.
What is the difference with Dry Needling and Traditional Acupuncture
While dry needling may sound familiar to traditional acupuncture, there are subtle differences. Dry needling has the same goals or objectives as acupuncture, which is to manage pain and restore function within the body. But the biggest difference with dry needling is it doesn’t use the Meridian System or differentiate diagnoses like traditional acupuncture. Instead, dry needling uses the framework of western musculoskeletal diagnoses and evidence-based points for pain management.
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Speaking of pain management, dry needling can also integrate the use of a thicker gauged needles compared to regular acupuncture. Electrical stimulation is also added to the needles to stimulate and increase overall movement and circulation.
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Dry needling can be used to treat a variety of problematic health conditions which can often be resistant to conventional treatments. These conditions can include, neck and back pain, nerve impingement, sciatica, migraines, rotator cuff issues, tendonitis, muscle tension, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger points associated with fibromyalgia, etc. It can also be used to treat common sports injuries, such as tendonitis and muscle strains.
