Are you experiencing pain that will just not go away or tightness within your muscles that won’t be relieve no matter how much you stretch? At Bloor Park Physiotherapy one of the services we offer to target these issues is intramuscular stimulation or sometimes referred to as dry needling.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a process where a trained physiotherapist inserts a small needle into the trigger points within a muscle to help relieve chronic pain and increase range of motion. While many believe this treatment is the same as acupuncture, they are actually quite different. Dry needling is a western medicine technique that works to stimulate a muscle through their trigger points. Whereas acupuncture has roots in Chinese medicine and works to stimulate the nerves within a particular muscle.
How does it work?
The physiotherapist will begin by prepping the area on the skin using an alcohol swap. Next, they will insert a small needle into a muscle’s trigger point but instead of leaving the needle in the muscle as is done in acupuncture, the practitioner will remove it immediately. While this treatment style is not painful, you may feel a twitching sensation in your muscle but don’t worry that is completely normal!
Conditions Targeted by Dry Needling
- Tendinitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Joint problems
- Shin splints
- Migraines and headaches
- Tennis elbow
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shoulder impingement
- Back or neck pain
- And more!
Benefits
- Relieve chronic pain
- Reduce muscle tightness
- Increase range of motion
- Decrease inflammation
- Increase blood flow
If this treatment interests you or has been recommended to you by another practitioner, you can book a free in-person or virtual consultation with Daniel or Trevor to see if the treatment is right for you!
Happy spring!
