Dry needling in Queen Anne

Are you looking for dry needling in Queen Anne? With a large portion of the media and research focusing their attention on the newest surgeries and medications, valuable and essential forms of health care are being forgotten. While dry needling alone has been shown to be an effective treatment for many conditions, it can also be incorporated into various treatment plans to increase results and decrease treatment time. Tuckahoe Chiropractic would like to use this short article to provide you with some basic information about dry needling and to see if you could be one of the millions of people to benefit from its application.

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Understanding Dry needling in Queen Anne MD

Dry needling enables practitioners not only to defuse pain, but to help heal many neuromuscular skeletal conditions. In the 70s, Karel Lewit, a Czech physician, began the first experiments with hollow-bore needles and trigger points that led eventually to the development of dry needling as a technique. Some confusion exists because at this time, dry needling uses monofilament needles, which are also used in (but not exclusive to) acupuncture.

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How does Dry needling work?

Dr. David Fishkin says dry needling (DN) is "a physiologic therapeutic technique and procedure. Its purpose is to neutralize soft tissue and to restore and improve muscle and fascial function. This treatment mechanically disrupts physiologically locked tissue.

"Dry needling is not to be confused with acupuncture. Acupuncture is an Asian complete system of healing. Its theories focus on the use of specific points, meridians, and the concept of chi, or life-force."

"The dry needling procedure, however, works with myofascial trigger points and tender points. It is based on Western concepts of anatomy, physiology, neurology, and biomechanics. The only common element is the choice of tool."

"Needling," he says, "works directly on the soft tissues of the body - specifically the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascial tissues. These tissues are not just slaves of the nervous system, but are themselves an integral part of the communication with the nervous system and its own network of tissues on the cellular level. So this compromises a vast tissue signaling system that has a network effect throughout the structural system from a single point of stimulation."

Patients at Tuckahoe Chiropractic have described the following effects following dry needling treatments:

• Decreases in muscle spasms and pain
• Decrease in swelling at various points across the body
• A general decrease in pain
• Lower levels of back and neck pain
• Fewer headaches
• Overall better sleep

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What should I expect during my dry needling treatment?

The first thing to understand prior to an dry needling session is that the needles used are much different than those that you would typically encounter at a hospital. Most patients describe their dry needling treatment as a calm and relaxing experience. In fact, some patients report feeling little to nothing at all.

On your first visit to our clinic in Queen Anne, we will begin by performing a thorough history and examination. After the results are analyzed, we will identify the problematic areas and develop an individualized treatment plan. After the sterile needles are positioned, patients typically rest for 10-15 minutes as the treatment takes its course. Depending on the individual case, massage, moist heat, or cold packs may be combined with the therapy. The total visit typically lasts around an hour.

As with many conditions, the treatment effect can vary depending on the severity of the problem. Many patients report feeling immediate relief, while others describe noticing changes up to two days following the therapy. Depending on the patient and the number of visits, relief may last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. It will be important to monitor this so that your treatment schedule can be altered appropriately.

While side effects are minimal, some patients have reported minor bouts of nausea, bruising, muscle pain, and difficulty sleeping following their initial treatment. If this occurs don’t be alarmed and notify your treating health care professional prior to your next visit.

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If you would like to learn more about dry needling in Queen Anne or see if you could benefit from its incorporation into your current care, please contact our team at Tuckahoe Chiropractic today for help.