Dry Needling – Sydney City CBD

Dry needling is a western version of acupuncture. It uses the same very fine needles as traditional acupuncture. Dry needling involves the insertion of the needle into “trigger points” in muscles.

Dry needling

HOW DOES DRY NEEDLING HELP?

Trigger points are tight bands that develop in muscle. The insertion of the needle into the trigger point can assist with pain relief, reducing inflammation, improving local immune/healing responses and relaxing muscle spasm to assist healing.

WHEN WOULD A PHYSIO USE DRY NEEDLING?

Dry needling is one tool in a physiotherapist’s tool box. It would rarely be the sole treatment. A thorough assessment should help explain why the trigger points have developed in your muscles. If it is felt that dry needling would assist in the treatment of your problem, it will be offered as an adjunct to other management strategies such as exercises or hands-on treatment.

WHAT CONDITIONS/INJURIES DOES DRY NEEDLING HELP?

IS ACUPUNCTURE AND DRY NEEDLING SAFE?

Needling is generally very safe. Serious side-effects are very rare – less than one per 10,000 treatments.

DOES DRY NEEDLING HURT?

Most patients do not feel the insertion of the needle. The local twitch response elicits a very brief (less than a second) painful response. Some patients describe this as a little electrical shock; others feel it more like a cramping sensation. Again, the therapeutic response occurs with the elicitation of local twitch responses so this is a desirable reaction.

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

There is no preparation necessary. Your consent is required and if you do or do not wish to have it used in the treatment this can be discussed with your physiotherapist. To book an appointment call Macquarie Street Physiotherapy, we specialise in treating neck and back pain and we are located right in the heart of the Sydney City CBD.