Bozeman physical therapy services
Dry Needling
Dry needling uses micro-filament needles to decrease pain and tension in the body. Dry needling is helpful for patients with acute and chronic pain in the neck, back and joints, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, headaches, sports injuries, muscle strains, decreased joint mobility, areas of muscle weakness and to improve overall function.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling involves the insertion of very fine needles into a trigger point or tender bands of muscle located within larger muscles. This insertion elicits a response that releases the trigger point and restores normal function.
The small micro-filament needle creates a micro-lesion in the tissue of the muscle, sending a signal to the nervous system to begin its natural healing mechanism. As the lesion heals and receives more circulation, the surrounding tissues soften, allowing the muscle pain and tension to release.
Dry needling is often successful in treating headaches
Why is it called Dry Needling?
Because these needles are not used to inject fluids into the body.
Dry needling differs from acupuncture in that the needles are placed for a short period of time and their purpose is to treat areas of pain and tension in the soft tissues of the body. Acupuncture involves inserting the needles into points along meridian lines that represent the body’s organs, balancing and restoring proper flow of energy throughout the body.
Who is Dry Needling best for?
Dry needling is especially helpful for those stubborn areas on the body that like to hold tension and are contributing to a patient’s pain. Patients suffering from headaches, tension, lymph congestion, sports injury, restricted joint mobility, muscle weakness will benefit from this treatment.
Athletes tend to respond especially well to dry needling.
How does Dry Needling improve health?
Dry needling improves the circulation to the areas being treated, enhances the healing of an injury, and improves the body’s movement patterns by decreasing tightness within soft tissues.
Dry Needling helps to:
Decrease acute and chronic pain
Improve joint mobility
Decrease tension
Speed recovery from surgery
Decrease sciatica
Decrease plantar fasciitis
Decrease headaches
Speed recovery from sports injuries
Enhance healing of muscle strains