What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique used for the treatment of muscular pain and myofascial dysfunction. It is extremely effective for relaxing overactive muscles, which contain trigger points. A trigger point is a hyperirritable spot in a muscle, located in a tight band that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule or knot. They are painful to touch and can cause referred symptoms.
What is Acupuncture?
Traditional acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine in which the basis of treatment is that the mind and body should be in perfect balance. It is a gentle and effective treatment that focuses on helping the whole person, aiming to improve their entire health and wellbeing. It is based on evidence that shows treatment can stimulate nerves under the skin and in the muscle tissue. At The Body Reset clinic we use a mixed technique of Western acupuncture with consideration of the Chinese approach.
Acupuncture for pregnancy…
Many conditions, which routinely crop up during pregnancy would benefit from a natural solution. Nicola, one of our senior physiotherapists offers acupuncture during pregnancy, offering relief from a range of pregnancy related conditions including:
- Morning sickness
- Pelvic girdle pain/ SPD
- Anxiety
- Tiredness
- Heartburn
- Headaches
What does Dry Needling and Acupuncture treatment involve?
Before your treatment you will be asked to sign an Acupuncture consent form. The needles are inserted into specific places on the body. During the session, you’ll be asked to sit or lie down. You may also be asked to remove some clothes so the therapist can access certain parts of your body.
The needles are very thin and are usually a few centimetres long. They are single-use, pre-sterilised needles, once used, they are immediately disposed of. The therapist will choose specific points to place the needles based on your symptoms. Up to 12 points may be used, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the number of symptoms you have.
The needles may be inserted just under the skin, or deeper so they reach muscle tissue. Once the needles are in place, they may be left in position for a few minutes or up to around 30 minutes. Throughout that time your therapist may rotate the needles.
You may feel a tingling, dull ache or muscle twitch response when the needles are inserted. This is perfectly normal but you shouldn’t experience any significant pain.