Do you try to avoid needles at all costs? Did you know that dry needling, or myofascial trigger point dry needling, can help relieve your pain? Even if you don’t like needles, this therapy may be the answer to any pain that you have. Here’s all you need to know to decide if this is the right therapy for you.

What is Dry Needling?

When you come in for dry needling in Denver, one of our trained therapists will talk to you about where you’re hurting. Then, he or she will insert needles without medication – dry needles – into certain parts of your muscle, known as your trigger points.

These points are bands of skeletal muscle located within a larger muscle group. They are often sore to the touch and applying pressure to one of them may cause localized pain or pain that suddenly appears in another part of the body.

Stimulating these trigger points causes an inflammatory response around them. Your body rushes to the aid of the muscle, providing extra blood flow and nutrients that can heal the trigger point and any pain associated with it. Without dry needling, your body won’t provide as many resources to the area and so healing may take more time.

Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture in Denver

Acupuncture and dry needling are two different things, though they tend to use the same type of sterile needles. Denver acupuncture is supported by some research, but dry needling has more. In addition, dry needling is based on western medical theory and techniques, rather than eastern philosophies.

Will Denver Dry Needling Help Me?

Dry needling has been shown to release trigger points, which can improve range of motion and lower pain. Research shows that it also reduces muscle tension and normalizes soft-tissue dysfunction at sites where nerve impulses are transmitted.

At Denver Physical Medicine, we use dry needling to treat patients with a variety of pain issues, including:

  • Chronic and acute injuries
  • Neck and back pain
  • Headaches
  • Tendonitis
  • Sciatica
  • Hip and knee pain
  • Muscle spasms
  • Muscle strains
  • Fibromyalgia

Different patients respond differently to this treatment and the best way to tell if it will work for you is to try it. At Denver Physical Medicine & Rehab, we are thrilled to offer dry needling in Denver. To learn more about this procedure or to schedule a free initial consultation, please contact us today by calling 303-757-7280.