Acupuncture & Dry Needling: what is it?
We have 2 therapists at TheTriTouch who practice these techniques: Helen Smith is a registered Physiotherapist & Acupuncturist, Aurelie Almeida is a Sports Therapist & Dry Needling Practitioner. Helen & Aurelie may suggest the use of needles within your session as part of your treatment options.
Acupuncture and Dry Needling techniques may appear similar, but their rationale and use in treatment are different. Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is often used in modern physiotherapy while Dry Needling is a recent western medicine technique. Both techniques use sterile, solid, single-use, thin needles inserted into the body.
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine aiming to correct imbalances in the flow of energy by stimulating acupuncture points. Acupuncture is evidenced from 200 BC.
The general theory of acupuncture is that disruptions of energy is believed to be responsible for pain & disease. This treatment can relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may encourage the patient’s body to heal and repair itself.
Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle, it increases the body’s release of natural painkillers (endorphin and serotonin) in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received. But acupuncture does much more than reduce pain, and has a beneficial effect on health. Patients often notice an improved sense of wellbeing after treatment.
More information is available from the British Acupuncture Council.
Dry needling was first introduced in the late 70′s when it was found to be as effective as injection of substances to relieve pain in muscles. It is a medical treatment which uses very thin needles without any medication (a dry needle) to treat pain and dysfunction caused by muscle problems. The needles are inserted into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point.
Dry needling works by changing the way your body senses pain, and by helping the body heal muscle spasm associated with trigger points.
The therapist will choose to use superficial or deep dry needling techniques, and select a lenght and thickness of needle appropriate for your condition and body size. You will feel a small pinprick and may also feel a muscle ache and muscle twitch. These are all normal sensations.
In general there is vey little risk associated with Acupuncture and Dry Needling techniques. You may have a little bruising around the needle site. On rare ocasions, patients may feel very happy, tearful, sweaty or cold. These symptoms all fade quickly.
It is important to see the needles as just one part of your overall rehabilitative treatment.
