Dry Needling and Acupuncture

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is a proven way to treat painful neuromuscular conditions. Studies have shown its effectiveness in both acute and chronic pain situations. The premise behind dry needling is that when abnormal muscle tension develops in the body, it causes pain. Dry needling stimulates blood flow, increases oxygen, and decreases the sensitization in the brain that occurs with chronic pain. Dry needling is generally safe and very effective for a range of conditions.

Dry Needling vs. IMS

Dry needling and Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) are both techniques that use needles to treat pain in the body. Although they appear similar, there are distinct differences between the two. Dry needling treatment is a technique that inserts acupuncture needles to target muscle knots or trigger points, effectively addressing neuropathic and myofascial pain while improving movement and function. On the other hand, IMS is an effective way to treat acute and chronic muscle tightness. This treatment uses a thicker needle and targets muscles to increase blood flow to the area of pain, providing immediate relief.

Generally, dry needling is a more effective long-term treatment because it focuses on releasing muscle knots rather than focusing on the muscles alone. However, you won’t experience immediate pain relief with dry needling. It can usually take up to a few months for the tension in your trigger points to be released.

Conditions That Dry Needling Can Treat

The following are typical conditions that respond to dry needling treatment:

• Headaches
• Frozen shoulder
• Tennis elbow
• Golfer’s elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Leg pain
• Hamstring strains
• Shin splints
• Muscle spasms
• Fibromyalgia
• Sciatic pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain

What Happens When Dry Needling Hits a Nerve?

When a needle accidentally hits a nerve during dry needling therapy, it may result in neuropraxia – a mild type of peripheral nerve injury. Typically, individuals will recover from this nerve damage within a few days or weeks. If a needle does come into contact with a nerve, individuals may feel a sudden, electric-like sensation, which causes them to twitch because of the involuntary muscle movement. To avoid this, only seek treatment from certified healthcare providers trained in dry needling in Toronto.

Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture

Acupuncture and dry needling are two distinct techniques used to address pain and discomfort in the body. While both involve the insertion of needles into specific points, they differ in their purpose and approach. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method to alleviate pain, discomfort, or other problems by inserting flexible acupuncture needles into the body’s acupoints to treat inflammation or pain.

On the other hand, dry needling focuses on relieving tension and pain by targeting muscle knots or trigger points. These knots are areas of tightness and hypersensitivity within the muscle tissue, often caused by overuse, injury, or stress. Dry needling therapists use thin, solid needles to stimulate these trigger points, causing a twitch response in the muscle. This twitch response helps release tension, improve blood flow, and promote healing in the affected area. Unlike acupuncture, dry needling primarily targets the musculoskeletal system and aims to address specific muscle-related conditions.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine used to restore a person to good health, wherein thin and flexible needles are inserted into specific points on the human body, called acupoints, to help treat pain, inflammation or pathology. It has almost no side effects and has been gaining popularity in Western medicine for decades.

Conditions That Acupuncture Can Treat

The following are some conditions that can be treated with acupuncture.

• Muscles strains
• Ligament Sprains
• Low back pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Headaches
• Whiplash
• Tendinitis
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Tennis elbow
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Sciatica
• Disc bulge
• Degenerative disc disease
• Shin splint syndrome
• Bursitis
• TMJ pain

What to Expect Before and After Acupuncture

Before you undergo an acupuncture treatment, you should eat a light meal. Continue to take any prescribed medications. Strenuous physical activities (including exercise) should be avoided for at least two hours after treatment.