What’s up with this weird needling stuff that sports physical therapists are doing nowadays?
More and more people have been asking me about it as they have seen or heard about it being performed in performance physical therapy settings in McLean and Bethesda.
One person told me that their neighbor calls it “magic” and has cured all his aches and pains. Another person said they hear it only hurts without providing any relief.
So what is it?
First, let’s define what dry needling is. Dry needling is a technique performed by healthcare providers like physical therapists. They insert small needles, similar to acupuncture needles, into muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. The needle creates a small lesion (mini-injury) to the tissue, triggering the body to start a healing process.
Dry needling is a tool and like all tools in physical therapy, it has a time and place. It is not appropriate for everyone but may be helpful when used by a knowledgeable (and hopefully, not too biased) physical therapist.
If there is a great deal of inflammation currently present in one area of the body, dry needling likely is not appropriate. But if you’ve had pain for several months or years, it could help.
At the end of the day, dry needling is just one part of the overall treatment plan and will not fix an injury by itself.
At CHP, we now are offering Dry Needling as part of our physical therapy treatment plans in our McLean facility. We use this tool to reduce pain and the symptoms associated with an injury while working on the root causes.
Are you interested in learning more about dry needling and how it may help you overcome chronic pain? Contact us today to learn more and schedule an appointment!
