6 Common Questions about Dry Needling

Dry needling involves inserting a very fine needle at specific sites throughout the body (often directed at a myofascial trigger point). Research is still being conducted, but the theory is that the needles cause a small inflammatory response which leads to an increased blood flow to the area. This process will bring in more nutrients and will assist in removing any waste by-products. Researchers also believe dry needling works by influencing our body's pain inhibitory mechanism to stop pain messages being delivered to the brain.

Dry Needling and Acupuncture do share some similarities but they are two very different approaches to needling techniques. Dry needling is a western medicine approach and is primarily used to reduce pain and restore function through a myofascial trigger point theory. While acupuncture is an eastern medicine approach and is used for the treatment of medical conditions through restoring the flow of energy and therefore restoring balance. Both techniques use the same needles in their application, but the theory behind where to apply to needles differs greatly.

A myofascial trigger point is a tight band within a muscle, which can often be tender to touch and may reproduce your familiar pain. These can occur through a variety of reasons such as:
• Repetitive muscle use
• Acute trauma
• Prolonged overloading from posture or poor ergonomics
• Degeneration
• Nerve sensitisation
• Anxiety or sleep deprivation

Dry needling can be very helpful for many different complaints that we as osteopaths see on a daily basis. These include, but are not limited to, the following
• Sporting Injuries
• Golfers or Tennis Elbow
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/Wrist RSI
• Muscle Tension
• Postural Strains
• Tendon injuries
• Lower Back Pain
• Neck pain and headaches
• Jaw dysfunction and pain
• Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Pain

Yes, sometimes it does. It is important to remember that pain is your brain's opinion of how much danger your body is in. If your brain notices that someone (your osteopath) is breaking through your protective skin barrier with something (a needle) then it should flag that as possibly problematic and a cause of danger. The brain gives us the pain signal so that we can act on whatever is causing it and remove the danger - think about feeling pain when you touch something hot and your body instinctively pulls your hand away from the heat.

The amount of pain experienced will depend on so many factors individual to each person. This can include where in the body the treatment is being used and what complaint you are presenting with. All people also have different pain tolerances and different feelings towards needles themselves, which can of course influence your pain experience as well.

If your osteopath believes it is the best treatment option for you there it is worth a little short term discomfort to get the desired benefit!

As with any manual therapy technique, there are some risks involved. Side effects are rare but your osteopath will run through the benefits and risks associated with using this technique during your appointment.

All needles are individually packaged and are single use. The area will also be sterilised using an alcohol swab to minimise risk of infection.

If you’d like to book an appointment for dry needling you can book.