Written by: Dr. Riley Barrett, PT, DPT
We’ve said it before but dry needling is for EVERYONE! Yes, we can make the case for athletes or why dry needling is a great solution for the holidays but ultimately it can benefit a variety of conditions.
Back pain? Limited range of motion? Tendonitis? Headaches? You name it, dry needling can be a great treatment option, but what is it exactly?
Dry needling is a technique physical therapists use to treat myofascial pain. The technique uses a “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle, known as trigger points.
You might be thinking this sounds a lot like acupuncture… BUT dry needling is not acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists. Instead dry needling is a part of modern Western medicine principles and supported by research.
We are NesinFIT so let’s talk about this from an athletic perspective…
Think about an athlete who strains their muscle while strenuously training for their next PR. They’re coming to us for treatment, and we’d like to utilize dry needling to see if that helps improve their pain and symptoms. Sure, it might take some conversation since needles are involved but low and behold it’s just what they needed to allow them to jump start or continue their training!
Now there’s definitely a chance of soreness afterwards, but like we tell our patients this technique is fast acting and the benefit often comes into play about 24-48 hours afterwards. Music to our ears especially during the holiday season!
If you’ve been wondering if we offer dry needling or curious about whether or not it can help you, give one of our locations a call today and get on our schedule!
NesinFIT @ Lincoln Mill: 256.489.1100
NesinFIT @ Madison: 256.461.9654
