Alleviate Pain and Stiffness with Dry Needling
Acupuncture or therapeutic "dry needling" (as we like to term it) is a treatment modality using extremely thin acupuncture needles for the treatment of numerous body structures. It is termed "dry needling" because the needles do not deliver any fluid (or injectate) as would a hypodermic needle. Dry needling in Reno, NV, differs from acupuncture in that we use it under our scope of practice treating the neuro-musculo-skin-circulatory-skeletal systems. Acupuncturists may use it to treat any condition. We use it based upon the knowledge gained from the large volume of research done worldwide. We also combine it with our techniques to normalize and restore the body's structure and function.
STRUCTURES THAT ARE TREATED
Commonly treated structures include taut bands of muscle, tendons, ligaments, musculotendinous junctions, osseoligamentous junctions, bone ("periosteal pecking"), and perineural needling for the purpose of improving microcirculation and disrupting fibrosis in chronic neurogenic pain syndromes. Other areas known to provide significant pain relief are also used.
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Many Conditions Benefit from Therapeutic Dry Needling
Chronic pain from all sources, postoperative pain, herpetic pain, diabetic pain, and pain from muscle, bone, and joint problems all benefit from therapeutic dry needling.
Lower Body Conditions Commonly Treated Include:
- Neuropathies
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Lower Back Pain
- Piriformis and IT Band Syndromes
- Sciatica
- Hip Dysfunctions
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- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries
- Shin Splints
- Ankle Sprains
- Achilles Tendinosis
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Upper Body Conditions Commonly Treated Include:
- Tennis Elbow
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Whiplash
- Headaches and Migraines
- Rib Syndromes
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- Facet Joint Syndromes
- Neck Pain and Radiculopathies
- Shoulder Impingement
- Temporomandibular Dysfunction
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WHAT THERAPEUTIC DRY NEEDLING IS USED FOR
Physical therapists use dry needling to provide pain relief and stimulate healing in the treatment of numerous musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that needling of specific points (not trigger points) stimulate the descending pain inhibitory systems or cortical areas of the brain involved in pain control. Therapists do not use it for the purpose of altering the flow of Qi or energy along traditional Chinese meridians, and we do not claim to be performing the practice of traditional Chinese acupuncture or oriental medicine.
What Training Therapists Receive in Therapeutic Dry Needling
Physical therapists begin with a comprehensive and rigorously detailed program of study in anatomy, physiology, pathology, neuroscience, orthopedics, and kinesiology. They then receive training in evidence-based guidelines for the use of dry needling within the framework of western musculoskeletal diagnoses. In addition, they are also trained in the most recent evidence underpinning the mechanical, hypoalgesic (central, segmental, and peripheral), neurophysiologic, chemical, and hormonal effects of dry needling. They learn evidence-based guidelines for treatment, recommended "point" locations, and dosages for the use of dry needling. Much of the literature that dry needling draws from uses the term "acupuncture" in its title, and many of these studies have used both traditional acupuncture points and myofascial trigger points in their treatment regimens. Thus, a foundational knowledge of the nomenclature and the location of several key traditional acupuncture points is learned to help the clinician understand and interpret the existing biomedical acupuncture and dry needling literature within the context of neuromusculoskeletal conditions.
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