Dry needling is also frequently referred to as Integrated Dry Needling (IDN). If you are unfamiliar with the technique, then the clue is in the name. Dry needling uses needles, similar to those used in acupuncture to stimulate shortened muscles, which can cause myofascial pain syndrome. The needles do not inject any sort of medicine – hence the ‘dry’ in dry needling.
Rather than using any sort of injection dry needling relies on the stimulating effect of the needles themselves.
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder in which pressure on certain parts of your muscles (known as ‘trigger points’) causes serious pain in seemingly unrelated parts of your body in a processes medical professionals call ‘referred pain.’
Referred pain occurs as a result of repeated muscle contractions or movements, often the result of work related tasks or repetitive motions resulting from other interests.
Virtually everyone has suffered from some form of muscle tension pain, but the referred pain that results from myofascial pain does not improve over time – in fact in many cases it only worsens.
Myofascial pain is often treated with targeted injections or pain medication. However, physiotherapy, relaxation techniques, and IDN are all equally effective alternative treatments which do not require the use of heavy medication.
Myofascial pain is almost impossible for doctors to diagnose because it occurs deep in the musculoskeletal system and produces no signs of tissue damage. Yet the pain caused by these disorders can be debilitating to those who suffer from it.
Dry needling relies heavily on a thorough physical examination of the patient by a health care practitioner who is specifically trained to recognize the physical signs of neuropathic pain. This physical examination is indispensable since chronic pain is often neurological as opposed to structural, and therefore, undetectable with X-rays, MRI Tests, Bone and CT Scans. Failure to recognize the physical signs of neuropathic pain can result in an inaccurate diagnosis, and thus, a poor starting point for physical therapy.
Core Kinetics is one of the few IDN practitioners in Southern Ontario.
IDN is not acupuncture
Dry needling (IDN) evolved directly from scientific inquiry, requires a medical diagnosis from a healthcare professional, and needles are administered in response to specific pain points.
Dry needling is virtually a painless procedure, the only discomfort that most patients encounter is a slight pressure of the needle being inserted and the subsequent cramping sensation which results from the shortened muscle ‘grasping’ the needle.
Once the needle reaches the muscle the heeling process begins:
- Stimulation triggers a physiological response causing the muscle to relax and lengthen
- The needle creates a small injury, stimulating a natural healing process in the muscle
- Electrical potential is created in the muscle encouraging the nerve to function normally
Through this process dry needling releases the muscle shortening that causes myofascial pain, encourages normal nerve function, and stimulates healing. Depending on your case you may experience relief after one session or many. Generally, most people feel instant relief but the longer you undergo regular treatment the better the results.
If you suffer from myofascial pain, don’t let it control your life, contact the healthcare professionals at Core Kinetics and begin your IDN treatment today!