Professional Dry Needling for Pain Relief in Joplin
Targeted Therapy for Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain
Dry Needling brings lasting relief to a broad range of neuromuscular dysfunction.
Following injuries or other degenerative processes, many people suffer from muscular tightnes and spasm. Dry Needling is a highly effective treatment that helps address this tightness and areas of pain. The identification and stimulation of these trigger points can “reboot” the muscle and alleviate the dysfunction and pain.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry Needling is a therapeutic technique in which a trained physical therapist inserts small, sterile filament needles into the skin and muscle directly at a trigger point. This generates a twitch response, helping release muscle tension and pain.
What is a Trigger Point, and how did I develop one?
Active trigger points consist of multiple contraction knots within a muscle and they can develop due to injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction and overuse. Active trigger points impair a person’s ability to lengthen, strengthen or contract muscle. As a result, the muscle shortens and compresses the structure around it, causing pain.
Does it hurt?
Most patients will not even feel the needle penetrate the skin, but once it is advanced into the muscle, the feeling of discomfort can vary from patient to patient. Usually a healthy muscle feels very little discomfort with insertion of the needle; however, if the muscle is sensitive and shortened or has active trigger points within it, you may feel a sensation much like a muscle cramp or twitch response. You may only feel the cramping sensation locally or you may feel a referral of pain or similar symptoms for which you are seeking treatment. A reproduction of your pain can be a helpful diagnostic indicator of the cause of your symptoms. After the treatment, you may feel sore but looser at the same time. The post treatment soreness can last for a few hours or up to two days. This may be similar to muscle fatigue you experience after working out. Some patients do not experience post-treatment soreness.
How long before I see results?
Typically positive results are apparent within 1 treatment session but can vary depending on the cause and duration of the symptoms and your overall health.
What are some commonly treated conditions that respond well to dry needling?
Dry needling is an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, rehabilitation from injury, and even pain and injury prevention, with very few side effects.
- Muscle Tears
- Cervico-genic Headaches
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Impingement Syndromes
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylosis)
- Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylosis)
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Cervical or Lumbar Radiculpathy
- Muscular Tone/Tightness/Spasms
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Groin Stains
- IT Band Syndrome
- Hamstring Strains
- Patellofemoral Syndrome
- Patellar Tendinitis
- Compartment Syndrome
- Shin splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- Plantar Fasciopathy
Is Dry Needling Acupuncture?
Dry needling is not the same as acupuncture.
Dry needling is a direct, medical technique that targets trigger points. This is only performed after a thorough evaluation of the bone, muscle and nervous systems. Dry needling is performed by a licensed physical therapist.
Acupuncture is performed by an acupuncturist who has been trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or the Five Element model. It includes different assessment methods and treatment goals.
Amy became certified in Functional Dry Needling in 2011 and has been on Faculty with Evidence in Motion as a Teaching Assistant since 2014.