Clinical Acupuncture
Dry needling is an effective treatment used to treat musculoskeletal pain. Once musculoskeletal pain becomes chronic, it is often associated with tender ‘trigger’ points usually situated in the muscle belly, muscle insertion, muscle-tendon junction or fascia; and are exquisitely tender to mechanical stimulation. Trigger points cause the muscles to become shorter and weaker, and as a result restrict movement in the joints as well.
The benefits of dry needling include:
Pain relief
Increase muscle length
Improve muscle recruitment / firing pattern
Often less painful than massage therapy
Improves sleep and relaxation
Dry needling is often used in conjunction with other treatments. It is important to release trigger points, reduce pain and improve range of motion, but then it is also important to strengthen the affected area to reduce the likelihood of the pain returning.
Common symptoms that benefit from dry needling include:
Pain under the ball of the foot
Shin pain or calf pain and tightness
Achilles tendonitis
Pain after ankle sprain
