kiersten flynn

Kiersten Flynn

Director
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502 McKnight Dr Suite 100B, Knightdale, NC 27545, USA
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P: 919-217-8885
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F: 919-217-8820

Clinic Hours:

Monday: 8:00am – 7:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am – 7:00pm
Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Tuesday: 8:00am – 7:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am-12:00pm

Dry Needling


Since more and more of our therapists are becoming certified in dry needling, we are getting bombarded with curiosity from patients, friends, and family. What exactly is it? Does it hurt? Who can benefit from it? Is it the same as acupuncture? Well folks, here’s the 4-1-1!

What is dry needling?

Dry needling is the use of a thin, monofilament needle (a totally itty-bitty needle) advanced into a muscle in the region of a trigger point to elicit a twitch response. This twitch releases muscle tension and pain. There is also a chemical change in the trigger point that decreases inflammatory substances and reduces pain. It is often used to treat sports injuries, muscle pain and even fibromyalgia pain.

What is a trigger point?

Trigger points are usually formed in a muscle that is stressed or injured. They are irritable spots in the bands of the muscle that feel like a contracted knot and cause pain and tightness. They can also restrict blood flow and nerve signals to the muscle and cause referred pain. Trigger points can often occur in muscles near a joint that is experiencing pain and dysfunction. They may occur in the muscles in the top of the shoulder if you have neck or shoulder problems, or in the forearm muscles with tennis elbow. They can also be located at the site of the injury like in the lower back, where the muscles tighten to reduce painful movement.

Dry needling lower back physical therapy

How is dry needling different from acupuncture?

Although the instruments used in dry needling and acupuncture are similar, the processes, underlying theories, and purpose are quite different. Dry needling requires a medical diagnosis of the problem, while with acupuncture it is not relevant. A medical examination based on a thorough understanding of anatomy is imperative with dry needling to determine the origin of the pain. With dry needling, needle placement is based on the physical examination, whereas in acupuncture, it is based on the traditional Chinese Medicine concept of meridians. Lastly, after dry needling there should be a prompt and noticeable response to treatment with improvement in motion and/or pain. After acupuncture there is no immediate objective change anticipated.

Who can benefit from it?

Our certified physical therapists use the dry needling technique to treat both acute and chronic orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions. It is successfully being utilized for a variety of conditions including but not limited to low back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis and many other common musculoskeletal conditions. It’s a favorite treatment option among professional athletes and weekend warriors as well as our Veterans who suffer from chronic pain.

Is treatment painful?

dry needling needleLike any procedure involving needles, the first question patients often ask is, “Will it hurt?” Each patient has different experience with dry needling. It depends on the patient’s condition and what tissues are being treated. However, let’s talk about typical response. The majority of patients do not feel the needle penetrate the skin. This is because the needle is so thin (check out that picture comparing the needle to a syringe). So don’t think of getting blood drawn or getting a tattoo. These are different needles.

The needles used are very thin but can be very long (up to 6 inches). The reason for this is deep dry needling produces the most optimal outcomes. Think of your body as a 7-layered cake: we have multiple layers of muscles and tissues. Many soft tissue techniques only hit the icing or the first few layers of the cake. Utilizing long needles allows us to hit all 7 layers and truly impact the involved tissues.

Some patients may feel a cramping sensation of the involved muscles that usually lasts seconds to minutes. This can occur with an involuntary muscle jump/twitch and is called a local twitch response (LTR). I personally like to yell “BULLSEYE” when this occurs because this means we are hitting the involved muscle group and positively affecting the desired tissue. As the needle remains in the tissue, the sensations subside fairly quickly, and the majority of patients don’t realize the needles are still inserted.

What should I expect after treatment?

You may feel sore immediately after dry needling in the area treated. It is also common to have slight bruising around the area treated. Some patients may feel tired, nauseous, or emotional after treatment, but typically these feelings do not last long. At times, treatment may make your symptoms initially feel worse, but this usually subsides within 24-48 hours. Overall, there should be a decrease in the tight feeling of the muscle, and movement should improve.

Trigger point dry needling can be a very effective adjunct to your overall treatment of pain and dysfunction. It can be performed to loosen stiff muscles, ease joint pain, improve blood flow and oxygen circulation within the muscles. In conjunction with exercise, soft tissue mobilization and modalities such as moist heat and electrical stimulation, it can be a very beneficial treatment to reduce soft tissue injury and pain.

Dry needling is currently offered in many of our Connecticut and North Carolina offices. To schedule an appointment with one of our Dry Needling Certified therapists, call (888) 989-3323.

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