Will Dry Needling Help You?

Are you seeking relief from any of the following conditions?

• Acute and chronic sporting injuries
• Repetitive strain injuries and overuse syndromes
• Headaches and whiplash
• Neck and back pain
• Muscle strains and spasms
• Joint pain including arthritis
• Tendonosis
• Neuropathy
• Spinal conditions

If the answer is yes, Cairnhill Physio can help. We should be able to – we are physiotherapists after all! But some of the techniques and therapies we use might not be what you expect. For example, we specialise in acupuncture in Mount Eden and Epsom areas and often perform a variation called dry needling. Combined, acupuncture and dry needling can decrease pain and tension, and increase flexibility and mobility. While you’re familiar with acupuncture, you might not be as well acquainted with dry needling. We think it deserves to be explained as it could be the key to your future wellness.

For a start, dry needling is based on Western medicine principles as opposed to acupuncture which has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. The use of needles is obviously common to both, and that is why many people think they’re the same thing. Thankfully, they’re not as the two separate therapies can be used in conjunction to achieve excellent results.

With dry needling, a needle is inserted into the “trigger points” of muscles. Think of a trigger point as a knot in a muscle which can be responsible for a host of painful conditions. In very basic terms, the needle “loosens” the muscle through a series of twitch responses and this can bring much-needed relief. While the insertion of the needle shouldn’t hurt, there might be the briefest moment of pain as the muscle reacts with the needle but this should be embraced as a good thing – it shows that the process is working and the twitch responses are happening as they should. Many of our patients call it a “positive pain” because they know it will pay long-term dividends and as far as pain goes, it certainly isn’t bad.

Dry needling is one example of how we often use a variety of techniques to treat a single condition. Along with therapies like acupuncture and traditional physiotherapy, Cairnhill Physio believes we should explore every possible way to reduce pain and increase mobility. So don’t be surprised if we suggest dry needling as a possible way to help you enjoy some long-awaited relief from whatever it is that troubles you. Feel free to contact us to find out more about this lesser-known but highly effective treatment.