If you're in pain, you want relief. General practitioners can diagnose the problem and, probably, prescribe a painkiller. Unfortunately, this kind of temporary fix can help immediate suffering but does little to heal or promote long-lasting improvement. What can be long-lasting is an addiction to prescription medicine. For this reason, people with chronic pain or muscle injuries may try alternative methods. Dry needling Pennsylvania is one therapy gaining in popularity.
The therapy is fairly simple in execution. It involves the insertion of a needle - similar to an acupuncture needle but often larger in size - through the skin and into muscle tissue. It can affect a precise muscle or stimulate trigger points, which are certain spots on the body that activate pain either at that point or at a specific point some distance away.
The needle used can be either solid - like an acupuncture needle - or hollow. Hollow ones are used to inject local anesthetic, corticosteroids, or other liquids into a precise spot that the therapist wants to affect. The needle elicits a desired response from a muscle; its use as an instrument for injections is of secondary importance.
Muscles can get 'knots', or dense areas of contraction, which can cause pain at the site of the knot or over an entire area of the body. Massage is one way to get these knots to relax and release. However, if the problem is in a deep layer of tissue, manual manipulation may not be enough to relieve soreness and tension.
Using this kind of long, thin instrument, a skilled therapist can reach an exact trouble spot. If a knot can be released, the relevant muscle can relax and lengthen, making normal movement possible again without pain. Flexibility and muscle tone can also be improved with this technique.
Most people don't feel the instruments passing through the skin. However, when the muscle itself is probed, there can be minor pain. This is generally in the form of cramping, as the muscle reacts to the stimulation. Soreness and bruising sometimes result, but these are usually not serious and easily relieved by soaking in an Epsom salts bath or applying ice to the area. Physical activity is generally good for recovery, although it should be light exercise rather than anything intense.
Two to four treatments are the usual course, although of course cases vary. Many therapists who work with sports injuries incorporate dry needling in their practices. They like the safety of this protocol, as well as its effectiveness and the rapid relief it can offer. In contrast to intestinal complications and possible addiction that conventional pain killers may cause, the side effects here are usually no more than temporary fatigue and soreness.
Check for clinics in your area that practice this therapy, which has some similarities to acupuncture but which is based on a different philosophy. The clinicians will be able to explain the program and advise people on whether their condition warrants this treatment. Dry needling holds out hope to those who suffer chronic back pain, for instance, or who have suffered an injury while exercising. It definitely is worth trying this mechanical way to relief and recovery before more extreme methods, like surgery, are considered.
The therapy is fairly simple in execution. It involves the insertion of a needle - similar to an acupuncture needle but often larger in size - through the skin and into muscle tissue. It can affect a precise muscle or stimulate trigger points, which are certain spots on the body that activate pain either at that point or at a specific point some distance away.
The needle used can be either solid - like an acupuncture needle - or hollow. Hollow ones are used to inject local anesthetic, corticosteroids, or other liquids into a precise spot that the therapist wants to affect. The needle elicits a desired response from a muscle; its use as an instrument for injections is of secondary importance.
Muscles can get 'knots', or dense areas of contraction, which can cause pain at the site of the knot or over an entire area of the body. Massage is one way to get these knots to relax and release. However, if the problem is in a deep layer of tissue, manual manipulation may not be enough to relieve soreness and tension.
Using this kind of long, thin instrument, a skilled therapist can reach an exact trouble spot. If a knot can be released, the relevant muscle can relax and lengthen, making normal movement possible again without pain. Flexibility and muscle tone can also be improved with this technique.
Most people don't feel the instruments passing through the skin. However, when the muscle itself is probed, there can be minor pain. This is generally in the form of cramping, as the muscle reacts to the stimulation. Soreness and bruising sometimes result, but these are usually not serious and easily relieved by soaking in an Epsom salts bath or applying ice to the area. Physical activity is generally good for recovery, although it should be light exercise rather than anything intense.
Two to four treatments are the usual course, although of course cases vary. Many therapists who work with sports injuries incorporate dry needling in their practices. They like the safety of this protocol, as well as its effectiveness and the rapid relief it can offer. In contrast to intestinal complications and possible addiction that conventional pain killers may cause, the side effects here are usually no more than temporary fatigue and soreness.
Check for clinics in your area that practice this therapy, which has some similarities to acupuncture but which is based on a different philosophy. The clinicians will be able to explain the program and advise people on whether their condition warrants this treatment. Dry needling holds out hope to those who suffer chronic back pain, for instance, or who have suffered an injury while exercising. It definitely is worth trying this mechanical way to relief and recovery before more extreme methods, like surgery, are considered.
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When searching for important information about dry needling Pennsylvania patients should take a tour of our official website. All the related facts about this therapy can be reviewed on this page at http://www.primalphysicaltherapy.com.
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