Acupuncture & Dry Needling
Both acupunture and dry needling are the insertion of small, sterile, fine needles through the skin into a specific area of the body.
Acupuncture
Is scientifically shown to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain and improve function in acute or chronic injuries or conditions.
Dry Needling
Releases muscular trigger points by causing the muscle to contract and relax, increasing flexibility and decreasing pain.
What is a Trigger Point?
Myofascial trigger points are highly sensitive spots located in tight bands of muscles and/or in a muscle’s fascia layer. When pressure is applied to trigger points, its is typically very painful, and the pain can radiate to other areas in the body.
This muscular tightness and spasm will cause compression and irritation of the nerves exiting the spine, which, when irritated, cause a protective spasm of all the muscles to which they are connected. This can result in issues such as carpal tunnel, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, decreased mobility and chronic pain. Trigger points can affect muscle strength, flexibility and co-ordination, causing abnormal movement patterns, which in turn can result in stress and strain to areas seemingly unrelated to the actual trigger.
In athletes, trigger points can lead to a significant performance decrease. A common trigger point that causes headaches is found in the Upper Trapezius muscle.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese technique that originated at least 2500 years ago. It has been scientifically shown to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain and improve function. Acupuncture is often successfully used to manage acute or chronic injuries and conditions.
In acupuncture procedures, very fine, sterile, disposable needles are inserted through the skin and into tissues at specific points along the body. There is no injection of any substance and the treatment itself causes very little (if any) discomfort.
In theory, inserting the needles brings the body's Qi (pronounced Chee), or "energy" back into equilibrium by balancing the yin and the yang. Scientifically, acupuncture has been shown to produce biochemical changes in the body that result in the release of endorphins. This assists in the alleviation of pain and promotes of tissue healing.
Acupuncture Canada has been actively training health care professionals since 1974. The physiotherapists at Nepean Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy Centre are A.F.C.I. certified to provide this specialized treatment. Generally, acupuncture is combined with active treatment in order to achieve optimal recovery from injury.
Dry Needling
TDN uses tiny, sterile acupuncture needles to release muscular trigger points and tightness, which can sometimes cause pain and movement dysfunctions.
The needles are inserted into the muscles at the trigger points causing pain. This causes the muscles to contract and release, increasing their flexibility and decreasing pain and discomfort.
Various biochemical changes have been shown to occur following this procedure. These effects combine to normalize the muscle tone, desensitizing the nerve compression.
This makes the muscle more receptive to rehabilitation, helps restore normal movement patterns, and improves performance of the muscular system.
Interested in Acupuncture or Dry Needling?
Our physiotherapists are certified to provide acupuncture to augment your treatment plan to manage your acute or chronic issue.