3 Benefits Of Trigger Point Dry Needling – To the layperson’s eye, trigger point dry needling looks a lot like acupuncture. They both use the same monofilament needles and have the same objective of relieving pain. However, while both can be effective at pain relief, they are not the same thing. Acupuncture is based on ancient philosophy, while trigger point needling is based on scientific principles.
What Is Trigger Point Dry Needling?
Muscles work by contracting to exert force and relaxing to release it. However, sometimes a muscle does not relax properly, so an area of the tissue remains in a contracted position. This painful area of contraction is known as a trigger point, sometimes also referred to as a knot in the muscle or myofascial pain, with “myo” referring to the muscles and “fascial” referring to the connective tissues that hold them together. Trigger points can occur anywhere in the body and are often tender to the touch.
If you experience one of these painful knotted muscles, Baton Rouge physical therapy may involve trigger point dry needling to resolve it. The therapist sticks a needle directly into the trigger point, stimulating it and causing it to relax. The minimal tissue damage that results promotes increased blood flow to the area, which carries away acidic wastes that are contributing to your pain.
What Are the Benefits of Trigger Point Dry Needling?
There are three main benefits of myofascial dry needling:
1. Faster Relief and Recovery:
The severity of your pain dictates how many dry needling sessions you need. However, many people experience at least some pain relief after a single session. Dry needling may also be used as a fragment of your physical therapy course following an injury or surgery to help to accelerate your recovery by increasing blood flow to the area of pain or the site of surgery.
2. Improved Chronic Pain Conditions:
There are two chronic conditions that can cause trigger points throughout the body. Fibromyalgia causes trigger points indirectly by affecting movement, while myofascial pain syndrome causes trigger points directly. Both can cause widespread pain throughout the body that can be debilitating, but trigger point dry needling can produce significant improvement in symptoms.
3. Regained Range of Motion:
Musculoskeletal pain can limit your ability to move. Decreased movement means that your muscles are not performing the work they need to stay strong. The result is atrophy, a gradual loss of muscle mass. Myofascial dry needling relieves the pain that is limiting your range of motion. Once you are moving normally, your muscles start to rebuild and gain their former strength.
By itself, trigger point dry needling is not enough to reverse muscle atrophy. However, your program of physical therapy in Gonzales, Louisiana, may involve dry needling first to relieve the pain followed by exercises to regain strength in the atrophied muscles and start building them back up to their former capabilities.
Regardless of the cause of your trigger points, dry needling may help you to relieve the pain and regain your former function. Research local physical therapy clinics to determine whether dry needling is one of the services they offer.
