6 Incredible Benefits of Dry Needling
Dry needling is one of my FAVORITE Physical Therapy interventions that I use in the clinic on a daily basis! It is my go-to for all things pain management, muscle pain/tension, chronic inflammation and MUCH MORE! If you are wondering if it would help you and your specific problem, the short answer is YES. The long answer has to do with the benefits outlined below…
Dry needling is a complex treatment method, that has to be performed by a skilled Physical Therapist who has been formally trained. Most PT’s can see you without the referral of a physician, which makes this one of the most effective and easily-accessible ways to manage pain. Here are some of the AMAZING benefits of dry needling:
✨Increases blood flow: dry needling creates tiny micro lesions inside of the tissues that draw blood flow and healing chemicals to the injured/painful area. Pain often is a result of a lack of blood flow, nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments and can be restored with the circulation that comes from dry needling treatment.
✨Decreases tension: Have you ever had stubborn and painful “knots” in the muscles that just won’t go away with massage, stretching, and yoga?? Dry needling actually stimulates the muscle to contract and relax around the needle which helps to “reset” tense muscles…the best part? You often notice and IMMEDIATE difference! Think of turning your frozen computer off and on again for a hard reset… that’s what dry needling can do in the matter of seconds!
✨Decreases pain: pain is a very complex issue within our bodies and is highly variable from person to person. In short, dry needling stimulates a response in the brain (on the shared pain pathway) so it actually down-regulates the pain response (i.e. reduces your pain!).
✨Combats chronic inflammation: chronic inflammation can be caused by a cascade of events after old compounding injuries including scarring, adhesions in the tissues, and ultimately a blockage of proper blood flow and nutrition to the muscles. This can result in weak, painful and deformed muscles that are starving for blood flow and nutrients. Dry needling disrupts these blockages in the micro-circulation to restore normal blood flow and muscle function.
✨Improves joint mechanics: joint pain and stiffness can come from shortened/contracted muscles that also don’t understand when to turn on/off. Dry needling can help restore proper muscle length and activation patterns for a more smooth, pain-free joint!
✨Decreases physical and neurologic stress: chronic injuries lead to very stressed out tissues as well as a hypersensitive neurologic response to pain. Dry needling, as I mentioned above, brings healing to the tissues themselves while also sending important down-regulating signals to the brain to STOP the pain cycle.
Now if this isn’t enough reason to try dry needling, I don’t know what is!! If you are local to Indianapolis, Indiana and looking for a Physical Therapist who performs dry needling, click on my “BOOK NOW” button to get on my schedule.
❌⭕️❌⭕️ Dr. Miranda Robles PT, DPT
Wildflower PT & Wellness, Indianapolis, Indiana