Are you dealing with a bodily injury, and do you intend to see a doctor? Have you thought about the kind of medical care that will be administered to you?
Did you know that there are several treatment procedures in Singapore that health professionals can give? One is dry needling, which has evolved over the past few years. This innovative treatment technique by physiotherapists complements physical therapy with a different goal.
You might believe that physiotherapy is nothing more than a form of exercise that stretches your muscles, but in reality, it is much more than that. This piece will provide information on this beneficial treatment which may be of great use if you are experiencing discomfort.
What Is Dry Needling? How Does It Work?
Dry Needling is a kind of treatment that, as the name suggests, uses needles and is carried out by licenced, trained, and experienced physical therapists, chiropractors, and other medical professionals certified in the art of performing the technique. This might be associated with other physiotherapy treatment techniques.
Your muscle fibres may respond naturally by twitching suddenly. The treatment consists of inserting sterile needles that do not contain any liquid into the parts of the body that are suffering from stress and inflammation, also known as trigger points. It is a standard procedure component and does not usually cause any discomfort.
The name derives from the actual needles used, and there is no injection of liquid into the body during this procedure. A practitioner will inject multiple filiform needles into your skin to do dry needling.
These needles will pierce both your skin and your subcutaneous tissue. Filiform needles are dry needles that are sharp, short, and made of stainless steel.
Myofascial pain disorder is merely a fancier term for chronic muscle pain disorder. In simple terms, it is a pain that is brought on by irritation to the muscles. When the needle gently penetrates your myofascial trigger points, it stimulates your brain, which is a simplified explanation of how it works.
Is There Any Discomfort?
Some people believe that dry needling does not involve any discomfort. Why? Because the needles are so thin and pointed, inserting them does not cause pain. It's similar to getting a shot or having your blood drawn—swiftly and without discomfort.
You will twitch when the needles penetrate your skin because this is natural. After your session, you should expect your muscles to feel slightly achy or sore for the next day or two. The sensation afterwards is analogous to the muscle aches experienced after completing a strenuous workout.
What Are The Benefits?
Increases the speed at which your body's natural healing processes take place
When a sharp, thin needle is inserted into the trigger points in your body, it relaxes the muscles, increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and activates a healing response.
This healing treatment enhances nerve transmission and stimulates your body to produce its natural painkillers, such as endorphins, also known as analgesics. To put it another way, this indicates that they diminish the sensation that one has of being in pain.
Alleviates headaches and migraines
The trigger points in the muscles and tissue are the focus of dry needling, which helps to calm and release stress in the body. This not only helps to prevent headaches but also relieves the pressure that headaches cause.
Improves the circulation of blood
The therapeutic method known as dry needling can help release stiff muscles, reduce joint discomfort, and enhance blood flow and oxygen circulation throughout the body.
Reduces the stress in the muscles
It helps alleviate tension in the muscles and provides pain relief. The fact that you are twitching due to the needle penetrating one of your trigger points is unmistakable evidence that the treatment is effective.
Helps with tendonitis
It helps reduce the aching. This indicates that a well-trained physical therapist, chiropractor, or one of several other practitioners familiar with the technique will use thin needles to relax muscular tension, alleviate tendonitis and inflammation, and promote healing.
How Long Does It Take To Get Back To Normal?
It depends. However, in the vast majority of cases, movement is restored immediately, and a reduction in discomfort is experienced between 24 and 48 hours after treatment. You should anticipate discomfort after receiving needling treatment because it is normal.
Normally, it may take a few therapy sessions (once weekly for two to three weeks) to achieve a long-lasting effect.
The beneficial effects may differ for everyone, such as age, severity level, treatment frequency, and cause of the pain. In most cases, the pain reduction provided by the initial few treatments is only temporary and lasts for a few days.
How Will This Benefit You?
Dry needling benefits anyone who suffers from aches and pains throughout the body caused by strain or muscle injury. Examples are people involved in car accidents and athletes who want to return to their sport.
Because it enables expert users to treat practically every muscle in the body at depths that are unattainable with other procedures, it is a powerful treatment.
An infinite number of trigger points are buried too deeply in the tissue for massage to reach them. Eliminating deep knots and limits that are otherwise unreachable is one of the most effective ways to maximise the benefits of this treatment.
Conclusion
You now understand what dry needling is, how it works, what benefits it has for your body, how it is administered, and other relevant information. If you read this blog all the way through, you should be able to determine whether it is a treatment worth your time.