At Disrupt Physical Therapy and Wellness, we love having the tool of dry needling in our toolbox! What is dry needling, what does it do, and what conditions can it treat?
Dry needling is technique using small monofilament needles inserted into muscle tissue to help with pain and improve muscle recruitment. The needling can be done as a stand alone treatment, but when electrical stimulation is applied with the needles, we like to think magic happens!
Okay, maybe not magic magic, but nervous system magic!
Dry needling with electrical stimulation helps get rid of pain by directly targeting and relaxing tight muscle knots, promoting increased blood flow and tissue healing, and modulating pain signals through the nervous system. The electrical currents can also enhance the release of the body's natural painkillers, reduce muscle spasms, and inhibit pain receptor activity.Â
Dry needling is a great tool for neck and shoulder pain, elbow pain including tennis elbow or golfers elbow, wrist pain, knee pain including jumpers knee, ankle pain including achilles tendonitis, and low back pain, too!
But dry needling isn’t JUST for pain! It also can be used to help with athletic performance and recovery, too!
Dry needling with e-stim for athletic performance works in a similar way to pain modulation, by relieving muscle tightness and trigger points, leading to improved muscle function and flexibility. Needling also boosts local blood flow and nutrient delivery, aiding in faster muscle recovery and reducing the risk of injuries. The electrical stimulation delivered to the targeted tissue also helps in neuromuscular re-education, optimizing muscle coordination and strength essential for peak athletic performance.Â
At Disrupt PT & Wellness, we don’t stop at the dry needling. Once you are feeling better and moving better, we want to use that new range of motion and load those tissues right away! We follow up dry needling sessions with direct, targeted exercises specific to you.Â
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