Three Things to Know about Dry Needling

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Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy in Las Cruces, NM provides dry needling as one of our many drug-free pain relief therapies to alleviate sore, tight muscles. The idea of dry needling, however, causes a lot of questions for people, so our physical therapy team wants to provide some education about it. So, here are three things you should know about dry needling:

1. Dry Needling and Acupuncture are Different

While both acupuncture and dry needling involve inserting sterile, very thin filament needles into the skin, the two practices relieve pain through very different methods. Acupuncture seeks to balance energies to resolve many different health concerns through Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices. Dry needling, however, specifically uses the needles to loosen “trigger points” in tight muscles or fascia to relieve sore muscles.

2. The Needles are Dry, As Advertised

The needles used for dry needling contain no fluids at all. Your Las Cruces physical therapist inserts these needles directly into knotted, painful, sore trigger points that have developed from overuse injuries. Trigger points not only hurt, but they can also make muscles hard to move and limit your range of motion. By manipulating the knot with the needle, our physical therapy team can loosen and relieve the trigger point to relieve the pain.

3. Dry Needling Benefits

In addition to releasing and loosening these tight, painful trigger points, dry needling can improve circulation to accelerate healing in these areas that were previously starved of blood flow. As fresh supplies of nutrients and oxygen flow into the area previously occupied by a trigger point, pain decreases and your range of motion increases. As you continue to work with your physical therapist in Las Cruces, NM, the absence of painful trigger points will make it easier and more comfortable for you to move, exercise, stretch, and recover.

Try Dry Needling in Las Cruces, NM

Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy provides a wide range of drug-free pain relief options that can help you get back to an active life, full of purpose and movement. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and feel free to ask us any questions you still have about dry needling.

What is Dry Needling?

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As part of your physical therapy in Las Cruce, NM, your provider may recommend a technique known as dry needling. This procedure is useful for pain relief associated with ongoing muscle and movement issues. If your physical therapist recommends dry needling, it will be in coordination with other techniques, such as targeted exercises.

Understanding Trigger Points

Dry needling treats myofascial trigger points, which are thin connective tissues that wrap around your muscles. A trigger point is an area inside your muscles that feels tender or inflamed. These areas may feel continually sore or only when you apply pressure to them. Unfortunately, the pain from trigger points can spread to other parts of your body. We call this referred pain here at Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy.

The Process of Dry Needling

Dry needling involves your physical therapist placing several small, sharp, and thin needles into your skin at various trigger points. The needles do not contain any type of medication.

Injured or overworked muscles do not receive an adequate blood supply, which is why you experience discomfort. Your muscles are not receiving the nutrients and oxygen they need to perform their best. Pain occurs because your muscles become acidic, making the nerves more sensitive.

Placing a small needle in a trigger point helps to stimulate blood flow and relieve painful tension. Upon feeling a slight sensation from the needle prick, your brain releases endorphins that help to relieve pain. Some people feel mild discomfort when the provider inserts a needle, while others do not. Your muscle making an involuntary twitch is a good sign because it means the needle is in the correct location.

Please contact us with additional questions about dry needling in Las Cruces, NM, or to schedule an initial physical therapy evaluation.

What is Dry Needling?

/0 Comments/in /by

As part of your physical therapy in Las Cruce, NM, your provider may recommend a technique known as dry needling. This procedure is useful for pain relief associated with ongoing muscle and movement issues. If your physical therapist recommends dry needling, it will be in coordination with other techniques, such as targeted exercises.

Understanding Trigger Points

Dry needling treats myofascial trigger points, which are thin connective tissues that wrap around your muscles. A trigger point is an area inside your muscles that feels tender or inflamed. These areas may feel continually sore or only when you apply pressure to them. Unfortunately, the pain from trigger points can spread to other parts of your body. We call this referred pain here at Del Valle Physical Therapy & Hand Therapy.

The Process of Dry Needling

Dry needling involves your physical therapist placing several small, sharp, and thin needles into your skin at various trigger points. The needles do not contain any type of medication.

Injured or overworked muscles do not receive an adequate blood supply, which is why you experience discomfort. Your muscles are not receiving the nutrients and oxygen they need to perform their best. Pain occurs because your muscles become acidic, making the nerves more sensitive.

Placing a small needle in a trigger point helps to stimulate blood flow and relieve painful tension. Upon feeling a slight sensation from the needle prick, your brain releases endorphins that help to relieve pain. Some people feel mild discomfort when the provider inserts a needle, while others do not. Your muscle making an involuntary twitch is a good sign because it means the needle is in the correct location.

Please contact us with additional questions about dry needling in Las Cruces, NM, or to schedule an initial physical therapy evaluation.