Functional Dry Needling
Restore normal muscle tone.
Dry needling is a technique that is used to decrease pain and tension in a muscle while increasing blood flow and improving range of motion and function to the area. During a functional dry needling treatment, your dry needling certified chiropractor will locate myofascial trigger points in a muscle or set of muscles that are causing you discomfort.
Myofascial trigger points are hyperirritable areas of tension within a muscle that can cause local or referred pain and can limit the movement of a muscle and surrounding joints. These areas of tension are commonly referred to as “knots”. Once a trigger point has been located, a thin filament needle is inserted into the muscle to “deactivate” the trigger point. It is this deactivation of the trigger point that leads to a reduction of pain as well as an increase in movement and blood flow allowing the tissue to heal at a more rapid rate.
For most patients, the inserting of the needle does not cause pain. The thin filament needles are designed with a rounded edge and much thinner than a needle that would be used for an injection or blood draw. This design causes less damage to the tissue and therefore less pain to the recipient.
Acupuncture uses similar needles to that of dry needling but the two techniques differ in treatment goals, evaluation and ideology. Acupuncture is centered in eastern medicine and utilizes predetermined insertion points with the intent of balancing the body’s energy flow. Dry needling however, is centered in western medicine with treatment being aimed at symptomology and functionality based on examination of the neuromuscular system.
Book an appointment with our functional dry needling specialists in Denver today.
