Are your muscles painful and tight? Have you had a sports injury that is slow to heal? Are tension headaches plaguing your days? Dry needling may provide the relief you are looking for.
Our experienced and qualified team offers dry needling to help improve comfort, mobility, and functionality. By targeting myofascial trigger points in the affected area with thin needles, we can stimulate the muscles to cause them to twitch or contract. This action can increase blood and oxygen supply to the region, reduce nerve oversensitivity, remove acidic by-products, and release tension from the muscles. Dry needling can also encourage the release of endorphins, which can help with pain and movement.
Dry needling aims to help people who are experiencing discomfort and reduced mobility. Our dry needling West Ryde physios can provide this popular technique, which targets myofascial trigger points, as part of your treatment and management plan to help you reach your goals and find a better quality of life.
What is Dry Needling Used to Treat?
Physiotherapists can provide a wide range of techniques to help manage a variety of issues. This allows us to customise your treatment with approaches that may involve a combination of methods to work towards the best outcome possible for you. Dry needling is one of these techniques that may work well as part of your management and treatment plan.
You may be experiencing pain in your muscles due to an issue with trigger points. These tender knots may develop for a variety of reasons, such as injury or poor posture. They can cause discomfort in the area and may also cause pain to refer to other parts of your body. The aim of dry needling involves using tiny, solid needles to target these painful points and settle down the symptoms.
Conditions that may benefit from dry needling can include:
- Migraines.
- Tension headaches.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Temporomandibular joint disorders.
- Pelvic pain.
- Tendonitis.
- Postural issues.
- Sporting injuries.
- Postherpetic neuralgia.
Dry needling can be more beneficial for some people than others. There are certain people who dry needling is not suitable for. People should avoid dry needling or should consult their doctors first if they are:
- Take blood thinners for a medical condition.
- Immunocompromised.
- Pregnant.
- Recovering from recent surgery.
- A child under twelve years of age.
- Needle phobic.
- Unable to consent to treatment.
Related Link: Can Dry Needling Be Painful?
What to Expect With Dry Needling at West Ryde NDPE
After a full assessment of your symptoms and medical history, your physiotherapist will identify underlying factors that may be causing your symptoms. They will determine the most appropriate treatment plan for you, including whether dry needling may be advantageous. Your physio will explain how dry needling works and why they think it may help your condition or injury.
We use sterilised, single-use, and treatment-specific needles. These do not inject anything into your body. Your physio is trained to palpate the affected area to locate the specific trigger point. They will gently tap the needle into the top layer of skin at the correct location to target the trigger point.
There are two approaches to dry needling and your physio will determine which is more appropriate for you. The superficial technique involves the needle being inserted into the bottom layer of your skin by about five to ten millimetres. The deep technique involves the needle being inserted beyond the bottom layer and into your muscle to enter the trigger point.
The length of time the needle remains in position depends on the issue and can vary from a couple of seconds to twenty minutes. Your physio may choose to use one needle to target a specific point or several if your issue is more widespread. You might feel your muscles twitching or a mild soreness, which is normal.
After your treatment, you may notice mild bruising, stiffness, and tenderness. You might experience fatigue or a feeling of light-headedness. Be sure to drink plenty of water and let your physio know of any concerns.
Receive Dry Needling at West Ryde, NDPE
If pain and reduced mobility are affecting your daily activities, visit our clinic for a thorough assessment. We will provide a personalised treatment plan to help improve your comfort and functionality and work with you towards your target outcomes.
Dry needling may be a suitable choice of treatment for you and we can provide this during your physiotherapy appointment. Our physios are appropriately trained and experienced to carry out this procedure and utilise high-quality equipment.
If you are interested in dry needling to manage your condition or injury, please contact our friendly team in West Ryde to find out more and to book your initial consultation!
