Dry Needling Affton, MO

Dry Needling Greater Affton, MO. It’s impossible to describe how crippling it can be when pain and lack of motion in our bodies keep us from the the things we love doing, or even make basic movements like climbing the stairs painful or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO, we are constantly looking for cutting edge and evidence-backed treatments to help Affton, MO residents get back to their active lifestyle, or just finally live pain free again. Dry needling has proven to be an invaluable tool for many of our patients that alleviates pain, releases tension, and restores mobility. All of our treatment plans are personalized for each client, their ailment, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in Affton, MO online or find the location most convenient for you and we will shepherd you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. While it may be difficult to believe now, with our tailored care you will be sprinting down the field, jogging through the park, or just painlessly going through daily life sooner than you think.

What is Dry Needling? | Affton, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also called trigger point dry needling, employs thin filiform needles to perforate the skin and musculoskeletal tissue in order to relieve chronic pain, improve range of motion and return you to the physical lifestyle your used to. Physical therapists often use it to amplify the effects of a larger treatment regiment along with posture correction, exercises, electrical stimulation, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be performed by medical professionals in Affton, MO, such as the licensed and experienced physical and occupational therapists at Axes.

Dry needling is often used to treat myofascial pain. The root myo refers to your muscles, while fascia refers to the connective tissue between the muscles. Myofascial pain is known as a chronic pain condition that can greatly limit people in their daily lives for months or even years. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a simple and affordable alternative for Affton, MO residents who are saddled by the increasing cost of medication or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

We’ve also found trigger point dry needling to be effective for Affton, MO residents with:

Soft tissue injuries
Back pain
Neck pain
Knee injuries and other joint conditions
Chronic migraines and headaches
Arthritis
Rotator cuff tears
Various sports injuries
Certain spinal issues
Certain hand injuries like carpal tunnel
Phantom pain
Sciatica

If you’ve been vexed by treatments that just aren’t producing results and are wondering if you’ll ever get back to the activities you love, make an appointment for a free screening for your injury or chronic pain with one of our expert physical and occupational therapists to learn if dry needling can be implemented into a holistic and proven treatment regiment with Axes.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | Affton, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling works by focusing on specific areas or regions, known as trigger points, that are the root cause of limiting pain. The pain may either be specific to the trigger point, or radiate out to affect an entire region of your body. Trigger points are sections of inflamed taut or strained muscles or tissue that limit the flow of blood to that muscle. That makes recovery more difficult. By softly puncturing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Affton, MO helps prompt a natural bodily reaction; the micro-tears influence the body to go into healing mode and promote the flow of blood and crucial nutrients into the area. When the tissue is pierced, the needles will prompt a “twitch” response by initiating a nerve pathway that can change the biochemical makeup of the trigger point. That tells the brain to release endorphins, the body’s own, homemade painkiller.

Dry Needling Affton, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near Affton

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Affton, MO

Is Dry Needling Painful?

The needles used in dry needling are eight times thinner than needles typically used at hospitals and doctors’ appointments for injections or blood samples, so many of our Affton, MO patients don’t even feel them at first. some patients report mild discomfort from the twitch response, but it is incredibly brief and is a signal that dry needling is working. Some patients report some soreness in the area for 24 to 48 hours, but after that, you should start feeling better, if you haven’t already.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s performed by licensed physical therapists, yes. All of our physical and occupational therapists in Affton, MO are knowledgeable professionals with a extensive grasp of the human body.

Is Dry Needling Really Effective?

Without a doubt, especially when it is part of a larger, comprehensive physical therapy plan. At Axes, our Affton, MO physical therapists only develop plans that have been proven to work through extensive medical and academic studies. Studies show that trigger point dry needling effectively reduces pain and improves function.

How Long Do The Needles Stay in For? How Deep They Go?

That depends on you, how severe the pain is, lack of movement, and the affected region. Some piercings will be incredibly shallow and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. In other cases, the needles will stay in for a few minutes and penetrate deep into the muscle, as often dry needling is the easiest way to access tissue deep within the muscles. All Axes treatment regiments are unique, just like our patients.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

Again, that we will make a personalized recommendation based on your needs. Some patients see significant improvement after one session, while others need five or six sessions to get the full benefit. We’ll customize your experience to you to get you the maximum benefit and efficiently return you to doing what you love most.

How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?

Some Affton, MO clients obtain immediate relief, while others will need two or three sessions. Rest assured, all of our patients eventually see improvements.

Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?

This is a common misconception, but no. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that seeks to align a person’s flow of energy. Dry needling is based on Western medicine and has only recently become widely used by physical therapists and other medical professionals.

Will My Insurance Cover Dry Needling?

Insurance plans all vary, so we can’t know until we look at your personal plan. At Axes, we believe everyone should have access to the effective and evidence-backed physical therapy they need to live without pain and get back to the active lifestyle they’re accustomed to. If you’d like, we’ll go over your insurance plan and investigate how much coverage you can receive.

Some of the other services we offer in Affton, MO are:

Dry Needling Affton, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near Affton

Trigger Point Dry Needling in Affton, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Many of our patients come to us after months or even years of pain and mobility issues that just won’t go away, even after extensive treatment. At Axes, our professional and knowledgeable physical in Affton, MO act as part of your team to implement a tailored treatment plan that research and experience tells us is effective. We’ve devoted our practice to getting the best results for our clients and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that backward kicks on a soccer field, taking a morning job, or just being able to wake up, go to sleep, and in between do what you want to do without feeling any pain. Contact a professional Affton, MO physical therapist online or call the location most convenient for you.