Ease Your Pain with a Prick

By Bobbe Ann Crouch

“Dry needling is about the only thing that relieves the cramping … It’s kind of like a deep tissue massage … It goes directly to the source of the [pain].”

Michelle Hawley Buck

Dry needling has become an increasingly popular tool used by physical therapists for relieving chronic pain over the past few years. It can treat a wide range of conditions such as muscular pain, back strain, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, and more, all of which are extremely painful conditions. Finding adequate relief for these types of issues can be difficult. If you are experiencing the pain associated with trigger points, you may have heard of dry needling.

The technique inserts a “dry” needle, which means free of medication or injection, inside muscle tissues for intramuscular therapy purposes. It is similar to, but not the same as, an acupuncture needle. These small, thin needles are inserted into the muscle at the trigger points causing the pain. The points are areas of knotted or hard muscle. Dry needling practitioners say the needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain, stiffness, or spasms. In addition, easing the trigger points may improve flexibility and increase range of motion. In the majority of cases, dry needling patients only require two to three sessions for treatment, and the effects are long-lasting.

P.S. You can swim away your pain too.