What is Dry Needling?
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Dry Needling is a modern name with old roots. In fact, Dry Needling has been around for hundreds of years – but it wasn’t popularized (or named) in the United States until Physical Therapists (PT) realized that it helps improve patient outcomes. PTs discovered that if they combined “Dry Needling” with other work they were doing to treat myofascial pain, the results were overall better.
So, what exactly is Dry Needling? It’s a type of acupuncture that focuses on treating the fascia, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and it’s used by acupuncturists, chiropractors, and medical doctors. Dry Needling is effective at treating muscle pain, including myofascial pain. “Myofascial” is broken down as follows: “myo” is about muscles; and “fascia” is a reference to the tissue that connects the muscles. Myofascial pain can be pervasive. With exercise, age, and life in general, muscles become knotted, which causes them to be highly sensitive and painful to the touch. We call these knotted areas “trigger points.” During a Dry Needling session, your practitioner will take a thin, solid needle and push it into the trigger point. As a result, pain is relieved not only at the trigger point, but also in other areas where there is referred pain, or pain that has traveled to another part of the body. The needles used during this process are either solid filiform needles or hollow-core hypodermic needles. The type of needle used relates back to type of muscular pain or ailment you have.
Pain affects so much, including how our bodies move, how we live our life, and how we feel about ourselves in general. Dry Needling changes the dynamic. Instead of delivering medication with needles, Dry Needling stimulates tissue. It is said that Dry Needling actually changes the way the brain and muscles communicate. In other words, the results go beyond delivering pain relief. With Dry Needling, your practitioner is rewiring the way your brain and muscles interact regarding pain. It normally takes a few sessions to feel the full effect of a treatment.
Let’s talk a little bit more about what Dry Needling is and how it can help you.
What can Dry Needling help with?
At Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center, we use Dry Needling in tandem with Acupuncture, Tuina Massage, Guasha, Stretching, and more in order to deliver the best possible results. We also pair Dry Needling with other therapies like exercise, herbal medication, and heat therapy. This is incredibly important as it leads to quicker and better results overall. Dry Needling can help with the following conditions and ailments:
- Increasing range of motion due to muscle tightness or scar tissue
- Joint issues
- Problems with the disks
- Tendinitis
- Migraine, headaches, and tension headaches
- Joint disorders
- Problems with the jaw and/or mouth
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
- Whiplash from an accident or injury
- Carpal tunnel
- A repetitive injury
- Phantom pain
- Pain from shingles, also called post-herpetic neuralgia
- Issues with the back and/or spine
- Pelvic pain
- Night cramps
What are some of the side effects of Dry Needling?
The side effects people experience with Dry Needling are minor and go away quickly. We’ve highlighted some of the possible side effects here:
- A soreness or slight pain during the treatment
- A soreness or slight pain after the treatment
- Achiness, similar to the way you’d feel after a deep tissue massage or a vigorous workout
- Bruising at the site of the needle
How can you find Dry Needling in Raleigh, North Carolina?
If you’re searching for a provider of Dry Needling services in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’ll want to find someone with the experience, qualifications, and compassion that make them the best at their job. Look no further than Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center. Our goal since 2010 has been to provide quality and compassionate acupuncture and other holistic services like Dry Needling, Guasha, Tuina Massage, Stretching, Cupping, and Orthopedic Movements in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding areas. Much like the balance that Acupuncture and Dry Needling provide for your body, we provide our patients with balanced care: the highest quality healthcare, while at the same time focusing on compassionate services that treat you, the patient, with holistic, individualized treatment.
Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center for all of your Cupping needs
Hi, I’m Jim Eleczko, the founder of Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center and it’s my mission to provide you with compassionate, whole-person care using holistic treatments, including Acupuncture, Dry Needling, and Tunia Massage. I’m a board-certified and licensed Acupuncturist practicing since 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. I love that I get to wake up every day to make meaningful changes in my patient’s lives. I’ve seen first hand the changes that Acupuncture can make.
As a teen I suffered from allergies and my father suggested that I try Acupuncture to calm the symptoms. It worked – and left a lasting impression on me! Now I offer Acupuncture and other treatments to help people with a variety of issues, including anxiety, migraines, fibromyalgia, and more. Our other treatments include Dry Needling, Guasha, Cupping, Stretching, Orthopedic Movements, Electroacupuncture and Therapeutic Exercises.
Here’s a bit more about me and my qualifications: I studied the 4-year program at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine and continue to travel multiple times a year to study with my mentor, Andrew Nugent-Head. I also studied under Dr. Ed Garbacz, M.D. LAc and spent a year working and studying under Dr. Bonnie Walker, M.D. LAc. I have also done extensive post-graduate studies in acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine from lectures of acupuncturists like Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi, Dr. Tran Viet Dzung, Matt Callison, and Edward Obaidey.
Get in touch with me by calling (919) 260-4104. I’d be happy to answer your questions and get you booked for an appointment today!
