Everyone is curious about dry needling in Colorado! We hear from people every day here at Louisville Medical Center who are interested in learning more about this innovative pain treatment. We’re proud to be one of the only clinics offering dry needling to patients throughout Lafayette, Louisville, Superior and the surrounding communities. While many people associate chiropractic care with manual adjustments, the truth is that chiropractors like Dr. Nicholas Hamilton here at Louisville Medical Center are trained in a variety of cutting-edge wellness practices that help to address pain and inflammation throughout the body.
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a musculoskeletal treatment designed for pain relief and improved movement using ultra-thin filiform needles. During treatment, small needles are placed in myofascial trigger points within muscle groups that are causing tension, inflammation and pain. The benefits include:
- Improved range of motion in the joints.
- Improved blood flow.
- Improved strength.
- Increased energy.
- Faster recovery following injuries.
Tissue needs oxygen to thrive! In many cases, tight muscle knots are cutting off the oxygen and blood flow that provide nutrients to cells for healing and regeneration. Dry needling is commonly used as a surgery alternative for people living with chronic pain. However, it’s actually an effective treatment for any type of pain or dysfunction within the musculoskeletal system, connective tissues and fascia. It can be used to help people heal from pain following everything from sports trauma to car accidents. We’ve seen patients benefit from dry needling when recovering from:
- Whiplash.
- Hip pain.
- Knee pain.
- Back pain.
- Shoulder pain.
- Sciatica.
- Arthritis-related pain.
- Carpal tunnel.
- Chronic pain.
- Headaches/migraines.
- Gluteal pain.
- Joint pain/dysfunction.
- Ligament pain.
- Muscle pain.
- Pelvic pain.
- Tendonitis.
- Tennis elbow.
- Golfer’s elbow.
Many patients suffering from “phantom” pains that don’t have identifiable root causes also find that dry needling helps them to get relief! If you’re interested in learning more about dry needling, our clinic is a great place to begin your journey to wellness! Contact Louisville Medical Center today to book an appointment.
What to Expect From Dry Needling
Each tiny pin is placed in the skin for anywhere between 10 minutes and 30 minutes during a session. The needles are carefully placed in trigger points (muscle knots) that have been identified during your diagnostic visit. It’s not uncommon for muscles to twitch when needles are placed in trigger points. Following the twitching activity, patients will feel relaxation come over the muscle area. It’s very common for patients to experience drastic reductions in tension and inflammation with increased mobility immediately after treatment. Significant results are often felt within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dry Needling
Dry needling is a technique to relax a spasmed muscle by inserting a small needle into the spasmed muscle without an injectate.
No! These are two very different treatments. While the two share the similarity of using needles, the development of dry needling is in no way related to acupuncture. Acupuncture is a practice that focuses on releasing “energy flow.” By contrast, dry needling is a science-backed treatment that stimulates trigger points to relieve musculoskeletal tension that is causing inflammation.
Dry needling doesn’t generally hurt. Most individuals report minor pain or something similar to a bug bite.
The needles used for this treatment are essentially too small to cause pain. However, many patients do experience “muscle twitching” during dry needling. This twitching is actually confirmation that the right trigger points have been identified because healthy tissue won’t typically twitch. It’s not uncommon for patients to experience minor soreness for one to two days following dry needling appointments.
Some people do have side effects like red marks and bruising following dry needling. Light bleeding at the points where needles were injected is also possible.
Most people see results after just two to three sessions. Visits are usually spaced out once or twice per week.