Acupuncture has been used in the Eastern world for thousands of years. In the past few decades, Western medicine has shown growing interest in acupuncture and its positive effects on the body. As a result, a great deal of scientific research has been done into the treatment of musculoskeletal pain using needles.

How is it different to traditional acupuncture?
Although it uses the same needles, they have very different theories behind them. Traditional Eastern acupuncture follows meridian channels to help the flow of energy throughout the body, whereas Western acupuncture places the needles in muscle ‘trigger points’. The term ‘Dry Needling’, or ‘Medical Acupuncture’, was coined to differentiate it from Eastern Acupuncture.

How it works
A very fine needle is inserted directly into densifications in the muscle and fascia called ‘trigger points’. These occur in areas where the tissue fibres are so tight that the capillaries and nerves that supply them are compressed, causing a lack of blood flow and oxygen. The muscle is therefore unable to relax, causing limited mobility to the associated joint. Trigger points are often painful to touch and can refer pain to different areas of the body.

When the needle is inserted into the center of a trigger point, blood pools around the needle supplying it with fresh oxygen and nutrients, causing the nerves to decompress and the muscle to relax.

Does it hurt?
You may feel the insertion of the needle and once it reaches the trigger point it can elicit a very brief dull aching sensation. This can last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.

Well thats about it from me and my needles. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the therapy and how it can help you, please do give us a call.

Hopefully see you all very soon