If you pay attention to anyone in the health and wellness or fitness industry, there’s a good chance you’ve probably seen pictures or videos of dry needling before. Or you might have seen your chiropractor doing dry needling at someone at your last appointment.
But you might be wondering why someone would get tiny needles stuck into them? Or thought – is that really helpful or just something trendy everyone is doing? Today we’re going to break down everything you need to know about dry needling at the chiropractor including who it’s for, what it helps and how you can do it too. Then we’ll let you decide if it’s worth giving a shot!
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a safe, natural form of treatment that uses a fine filament needle that is inserted into a trigger point.
What is a trigger point? A trigger point is when the muscle or tender tightens up into a ball or knot and can be painful. Trigger points can form from injury, overuse, or stress. When these knots occur, the muscle no longer gets adequate blood supply. This means that no oxygen or nutrients are able to get into the muscle which allows it from being able to properly heal in a resting state.
Did you know? There are over 200 trigger points throughout the body. It’s important to recognize these pain points and get them treated as soon as possible so they do not cause continued pain or other problems.
To help relieve the pain of trigger points, chiropractors use fine, filament needles inserted into the muscle to produce a twitch-like effect in the muscle fibers. This twitch-like effect draws blood and oxygen into the area to release tension.
As an added benefit, it also helps trigger a response in the brain to release endorphins that can make you instantly feel better.
Areas Dry Needling Can Treat
Dry needling can treat almost any area of the body. Some of the most common areas of the body chiropractors use dry needling to treat include:
- Neck
- Chest
- Plantar Fasciitis
- TMJ or Jaw-related Disfunctions
- Shin Splints
What Are the Benefits of Dry Needling?
There a many benefits of dry needling. In addition to muscle pain relief, dry needling can help release endorphins that give you an “instant feel-good feeling”. Some of the biggest benefits of dry needling include:
- Relieves headaches and migraines
- Speeds up muscle recovery
- Treats whiplash and other car accident injuries
- Decreases inflammation
- Helps increase circulation and oxygen flow to muscle and tissues
- Improves flexibility
- Provides pain relief in muscles
- Improves sleep
Who Can Benefit from Dry Needling?
Almost anyone can benefit from dry needling. Dry needling is a safe, holistic form of treatment that uses the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Some common types of people who benefit from dry needling at the chiropractor include:
- Athletes
- Patients with chronic pain
- People who have been in auto accidents
- People who suffer from stress
- People with insomnia
Can Chiropractors Do Dry Needling?
Yes, chiropractors can do dry needling. Our chiropractors complete a thorough training in dry needling technique that ensures the safest form of treatment. Chiropractors can also combine dry needling with other forms of natural treatment to create a customized treatment plan that will be most effective in healing your injuries or pain.
Don’t be mistaken. Dry needling is NOT acupuncture. Dry needling performed by chiropractors focuses on muscular pain and injury. Acupuncture tends to focus on removing blockages on energy levels. Dry needling is best for providing relief from muscular pain and tension, improving flexibility, increasing in range of motion, and decreasing long-term pain. Acupuncture focuses on energy, nausea, allergies, and short-term pain relief.
Get Treated at Kaizo Health
Our goal at Kaizo Health is to always get you back to feeling 100%. Our doctors provide treatment to help you be pain-free. We also have a dedicated team that will work with you and your insurance. We want to make sure you get the most from your benefits. You should experience relief for as little cost to you as possible. If you are ready to experience relief from the pain, make an appointment to see us now.
Kaizo Health offers locations in Rockville, MD; Landover, MD; Fort Washington, MD; and Fairfax, VA. Our doctors an evidence-based approach by combining chiropractic care and individualized rehabilitative exercises. We provide the treatment and resources you need to recover your health. We are here to help! If you’d like more information, check out our blog. You can also take our free virtual self-assessment on app here.