Trigger Point Dry Needling in Avon
Trigger Point Dry Needling, or TDN, is an extremely effective technique that uses a very fine acupuncture needle to “deactivate” or “shut down” a trigger point or painful knotted areas in your muscles. Muscular tightness and spasm can lead to compression and irritation of the nerves. When nerves are irritated, they cause a protective spasm of all the muscles to which they are connected. This contributes to the decreased mobility and pain in the area. Many of us have areas in our body that feel tense all the time or feel like a hard ball in the muscle. By inserting fine needles into these tight areas, we elicit a “twitch response” or a brief contraction followed by an immediate and long lasting relaxation. Because the needle can treat very deep parts of the muscle, the technique can achieve amazing pain relief that you never thought possible.
Benefits:
- Pain control
- Restores/inscreases motion and function
- Reduces muscle tension
- Desensitizes supersensitive structures
- Promotes healing response in tissue
- Normalizes biochemical electrical dysfunction of motor end plates
- Accelerates return to active rehabilitation
Will TDN help me?
Does massage give you great relief, but doesn’t last as long as you would like? People who have good results with massage but are disappointed when the discomfort returns will find TDN a great way to get more long lasting relief. We are able to treat nearly any muscle in the body and can treat the muscle at depths impossible with other types of bodywork. TDN is a great way to get more out of your massage therapy by allowing us to get rid of the deep knots and restrictions that have, up till now, been unreachable. TDN is not appropriate for people with brand new injuries that are swollen and acutely painful. It is also not always appropriate for people who have excessively loose joints, but an evaluation will help us make that decision.
Does the needle hurt?
Because acupuncture needles are very fine and solid, they don’t hurt as the pass through the skin like a hollow injection needle does. The sensation people report are “deep aching”, “pressure”, “releasing” or “soreness”. The needle is left in for a very short period of time, just long enough to relax the muscle. The procedure is repeated in different areas until the muscle returns to its normal, relaxed state. Because we treat sensitive areas, there is some discomfort. However, short term discomfort is well worth tolerating considering the long term relief TDN provides.
How will I feel after TDN?
The muscle may feel fatigued and the soreness can last from a few hours to 1-3 days but should not interfere with your everyday activities. We encourage you to be active and drink lots of water during this time to keep the soreness to a minimum. Heat may help to minimize any soreness. After a day or so, you may experience a new feeling of less pain and tightness.
How does dry needling fit into my overall treatment plan at Fast Track Physical Therapy?
We’ve found that dry needling is most effective when used in conjunction with other physical therapy techniques and treatments. Dry Needling is another treatment tool, just like therapeutic exercise, other manual therapy techniques and spinal traction and various modalities. Dry needling is often useful early in treatment to help break the pain cycle.
Looking for Trigger Point Dry Needling in Avon? Call us at (317) 209-1900 to see if TDN is right for you!
