Since no medication is administered during the procedure, the method is called dry needling. This procedure does not require local or general anesthesia. In the dry needling technique, thin needles similar to those used in acupuncture are used. Pain treatment is performed by stimulating the muscles through these thin needles of various sizes.
What is dry needling therapy?
Dry Needle Therapy is a treatment method applied to treat chronic musculoskeletal diseases and pain problems resulting from these diseases. It is a treatment performed by applying drug-free thin needles of different sizes to the trigger and spasm points detected by specialist doctors.
How is dry needling technique applied?
Before the dry needling technique, a physical examination is performed to determine what is causing the patient’s pain complaints and the trigger points of the pain. Then, special needles are applied to these trigger and spasm points that cause pain in muscle stiffness. This method allows the spasm in the muscles to be released and the trigger points to relax. Since the needles used in the dry needling technique are very thin, patients generally do not feel pain. Although it may vary from patient to patient, dry needling takes approximately 20 minutes. The number of sessions is planned according to the patient’s complaints. While 3 sessions are sufficient for some patients, the number of sessions may go up to 8-10 for some patients.
Difference between dry needle therapy and acupuncture
The dry needle method is often confused with acupuncture due to the fact that the procedure is drug-free and the needles used are special. The difference between this method and acupuncture is that the trigger points are directly targeted and the points in question change according to the patient and the complaint. Acupuncture is applied to fixed points.
Who can undergo dry needling?
The dry needle method has a wide range of uses, including musculoskeletal pain. This method can be applied to all patient groups with the following complaints:
- Muscle spasms,
- Neck pain,
- Low back pain,
- Back pain,
- Fibromyalgia,
- Myofascial pain,
- Shoulder pain,
- Pain due to golfer’s elbow,
- Pain due to tennis elbow,
- Pain due to sports injuries,
- Pain due to scoliosis and posture disorder,
- Jaw joint pain,
- Spinal pain caused by trauma.
Is there any harm in dry needle treatment?
Since dry needle treatment does not use any medication and is not an invasive procedure, it has no side effects or harm.