Dry Needling

Dry needling is the insertion of a small, solid monofilament needle into a trigger point (knot) of the muscle in order to improve its overall function.

Dry needling helps to;

• Reduce dull and achy pains originating from the muscle

• Improved strength and control of the muscle

• Improve length and mobility of the muscle

• Reestablish the neural pathways for improved brain to muscle connection

This helps in all kinds of conditions and I use it often due to its quick effectiveness and short procedure time.

How does Dry Needling feel?

Most people are concerned with how the procedure feels, especially if you have some anxiety around needles. Because the needles are so thin, you usually don’t usually feel the poke of the needle itself, but you feel the muscle reacting to the needle. It is a dull, achy, cramping type of sensation which lasts only a few moments and is typically no worse than the pain you are already experiencing. I often use electrical stimulation through the needle to get more of the therapeutic effect of the procedure, which feels like a gentle pulsing of the muscle.

Within minutes after the procedure, we will see the positive effects of less pain, increased movement, and increased strength.  You are free to do any activity you want to after a needling session, and it is encouraged. You will feel some muscle soreness for about a day.

There is rarely bleeding with dry needling because the needles are so thin and because they are solid, they don’t remove a piece of skin the way hypodermic needles do, like after a blood draw or flu shot.

What’s the difference between Dry Needling and Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is described as “Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of "yin" and "yang" of the life force known as "qi," pronounced "chi." Illness is said to be the consequence of an imbalance of the forces. Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridians and energy flows are accessible through 350 acupuncture points in the body.” - www.medicalnewstoday.com

With dry needling, we aren’t concerned with acupoints or meridians. We we insert the needle directly into a trigger point (knot) in a dysfunctional muscle. The needle effect helps release the trigger point, untangling the muscle fibers, which helps with reducing pain, improving muscle length, and improving muscle strength by allowing the muscle fibers to contract and lengthen normally.

Why is it called Dry Needling?

“Dry” means we aren’t injecting anything into the body, just the solid needle by itself. A wet needle refers to fluid being injected into the tissue, like flu shots.

Where did you get your training for this?

I was trained through KinetaCore’s “Functional Dry Needling” program. I completed the required 54 hours of on-site training and have performed hundreds of treatment sessions since 2017 and I have not had any serious adverse events from my treatments.

30 minute, dry needling only appointments are now available only AFTER your initial evaluation, and if appropriate for your treatment plan.