ptspin
by Scott Higgs
Physical Therapist
Dry needling is an option for pain relief, muscle stimulation
and relaxation during recovery from an injury or surgery.
In this video, the process of dry needling at Ponchatoula
Therapy is demonstrated.
needles – not so
scary after all?
If you’re like most, needles aren’t the
best part of going to the doctor. But these
needles may be the most welcome part
of physical therapy. An open mind and a
little understanding may go a long way to
this addendum to physical therapy.
Mr. Jake Morreale injured his shoulder,
and working on vehicles became a chore
rather than a hobby. As a car enthusiast,
his shoulder is a pretty important part
of restoring something to its working
condition, and dry needling has become
part of restoring his shoulder.
“I know that it feels better now than it
did before,” he says. “It doesn’t hurt, and
my shoulder is definitely feeling better.”
The needle is called dry simply because
it contains no medicine. “It is a thin
needle that is targeted to trigger points
that stimulate muscles to respond. They
may twitch a little, but they’ll relax and
result in relief.”
The needle is then touched with a small
machine to stimulate deep muscle tissue
and promote contraction of the muscle.
For Jake, it has meant that he has longer
periods of relief and is able to participate
in the activities he loves.
Dry needling is not acupuncture.
Physical therapists are specially trained
to understand trigger points and where
needles should be inserted in order to
help produce results for patients.
“They are not medicinal,” says Higgs.
“They can’t heal the problem, but they
can help provide patients relief when they
are healing after surgery or injury.”
If you think you may benefit from
dry needle therapy, talk to your doctor or
physical therapist. Get the facts and then
take control of your recovery.
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