GC Osteopathy Dr Anna Potts writes about Dry Needling
Dry Needling could be the answer to your aches and pains
Myofascial Dry Needling? Most of you have heard about it, some of you may have tried it, or maybe this is something new to you.
Dry Needling, also known as ‘myofascial dry needling’, has been around since the 1940s and is an effective tool to treat musculoskeletal pain, reduce muscular tension, improve movement and stimulate the body's natural ability to heal itself. It’s called myofascial because ‘myo’ means muscle and ‘fascial’ means fascia; another way to say it is ‘treatment for your muscles and the surrounding tissues’.
Studies have shown Dry Needling to be effective in treating chronic conditions. The types of issues that can benefit are many – here’s a snapshot - neck pain, headaches, lower back pain, sciatic pain, knee pain, spasticity after stroke, tendonitis (e.g. tennis and golfer's elbow), shoulder pain, plantar fasciitis, fibromyalgia, hip pain and muscle weakness. Dry Needling is commonly used to improve functional performance in sports and other physical activities such as manual labour, gardening, cleaning and yard work.
What can you expect if your treatment involves Dry Needling? The practitioner uses a sterile, fine stainless-steel needle (the same kind that acupuncturists use). When you have your first appointment, I will discuss your case history and make an assessment. If I recommend Dry Needling, this is likely to be used alongside other osteopathic techniques. Let’s take an example – if you came to see me for sciatic pain, I may use 2 to 4 needles on your lower back and leave them in for 5 to 15 minutes. The treatment area, the time the needles are left in and the number of needles used will depend on the issue presented and what you are comfortable with at the time. Another example is tension headaches; these can be ‘referred’ from your shoulder muscles. So, the needles are likely to be placed here.
When a needle is put into the muscle, you may experience an involuntary 'twitch’ or ‘jump response', which may be accompanied with a subtle ache or a referring sensation. This sensation can vary a lot -– it can be a split moment or a slow ease. Then you may feel a noticeable improvement in muscle tension and less discomfort. Or you may feel nothing at all except a change and a benefit! To finalise your treatment, I may offer you some tape to help support and stabilise the area of concern.
Dry Needling works by treating ‘myofascial trigger points’ without the discomfort that may occur to surrounding muscle when manual pressure, using thumbs or elbows for example, is applied. These ‘myofascial trigger points’ may be caused by injury or ongoing muscle stress and can sometimes feel like a tight band or lump within the muscle. Sometimes they are referred to as knots or adhesions.
During your appointment, we will talk about your treatment goals. Everyone has different priorities and these are some I hear regularly - to be to be pain free again, to be able to walk up and down stairs, to pick up my children or grandchildren, to go to work without pain, to get back into exercise or even to run a marathon.
As with most manual therapies, there is the possibility of feeling a little soreness for a couple of days after your treatment. The benefits of Dry Needling generally outweigh this soreness! If there are any potential risks, they will be discussed prior to your treatment, or an alternative treatment method will be recommended. My aim is to leave you with much less discomfort and pain.
If you have any questions about Dry Needling, please contact me on 0401 155 550. To make an appointment call the same number or book online by going to my About page and clicking on the Book Now button. Here's the link --