Dry Needling
Dry needling is used to treat myofascial trigger points or “muscle knots”. A needle is inserted into the muscle directly at a tender point, this will often result in a local twitch response. This is repeated until the tender point is no longer felt.
Dry needling is a very effective way of decreasing pain that is coming from muscle tightness and should not be confused with the Traditional Chinese Medicine technique of acupuncture.
Acupuncture
If you come to the clinic with severe levels of pain “Western Acupuncture”, where needles are inserted and left in for 20-30 minutes may be offered as a first line treatment. The approach is based on Western anatomical and neurophysiological principles and is thought to work by blocking the pain message going to the brain and stimulating the release of endorphins which help reduce pain. Clinical guidelines advocate the use of Acupuncture to decrease pain and it is well supported in the literature as a treatment for back pain and knee osteoarthritis.