Dry Needling Berkeley, MO | Pain Management

Dry Needling Greater Berkeley, MO. It’s hard to describe how it feels when pain and lack of motion in our bodies is preventing us from participating in the activities we love, or even make ordinary movements like picking something up off the ground difficult or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Berkeley, MO, we are constantly looking for new and treatments that have been demonstrated through research to help Berkeley, MO residents get back to their active lifestyle, or just finally live pain free again. Many of our patients have found that dry needling is an effective, simple, and vital part of a more comprehensive physical therapy regiment with us. Our treatment plans are as distinctive as each client, the pain or injury that’s affecting them, and the activity level they’re striving to get back to. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in Berkeley, MO online or reach out to the location most convenient for you and we will guide you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. While it may be tough to believe now, with our personalized care you will be skipping out the door in no time.

What is Dry Needling? | Berkeley, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, employs thin filiform needles to puncture the skin and musculoskeletal tissue in order to reduce chronic pain, boost range of motion and return you to feeling like you again. Physical therapists often use it to amplify the effects of a holistic treatment plan that can include posture education, stretching, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should only ever be performed by medical professionals in Berkeley, MO, such as the licensed and knowledgeable 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 considered a chronic pain condition that can significantly limit people in their daily lives for months or even years. We’ve found that dry needling is a safe and economical option for Berkeley, MO residents who are saddled by the increasing cost of prescription meds or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

We’ve also implemented trigger point dry needling for Berkeley, MO residents with:

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

If you’ve been disheartened by treatments that just aren’t producing results and are doubting whether or not 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 experienced physical and occupational therapists to see if dry needling can be implemented into a comprehensive and evidence-backed physical therapy plan with Axes.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | Berkeley, 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 trigger point can either affect a localized area or affect an entire region of your body. Trigger points are portions of inflamed tight or irritated muscles or tissue that restrict blood flow to that area and surrounding areas. That means the affected area is not able to heal properly. By gently stabbing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Berkeley, MO helps prompt an instinctive bodily reaction; the micro-tears signal 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 stimulate a “twitch” response by initiating a nerve pathway that can change the biochemical makeup of the trigger point. That that communication within the nervous system releases endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

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

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

Is Dry Needling Painful?

The needles that physical therapists use 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 Berkeley, MO patients don’t even feel them pierce the skin. You may feel some faint irritation once the nerve pathways have been activated, but it lasts for less than two seconds and is a signal that dry needling is working. Some patients report some soreness in the affected region for the first day or two, but after that, you should start feeling better, if not earlier.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s conducted by experienced physical therapists, there is nothing to worry about. team in Berkeley, MO is made up of skilled professionals with a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system.

Is Dry Needling Really Effective?

Without a doubt, especially when it is part of a larger, comprehensive treatment regiment. At Axes, our Berkeley, MO physical therapists only develop plans that have been proven to work through extensive research. Studies have demonstrated the benefits trigger point dry needling can have for people with injuries or chronic pain.

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

We base that on you, how severe the pain is, lack of mobility, and the affected tissue. Some piercings will be largely superficial and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. In other cases, the needles will remain for as many as 15 or 20 minutes and will go deeper into the muscle, as often dry needling is the easiest way to access harder to reach muscles and tissue. Your entire experience at Axes will be based exclusively on what is best for you.

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 tailor your plan to you to get you the maximum benefit and efficiently return you to the activities that are most important to you.

How Quickly Will I See Results With Dry Needling?

Some Berkeley, MO patients can feel improvements right away, while others will need two or three sessions. Rest assured, all of our patients eventually see improvements.

Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?

Not really. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique, invented thousands of years ago, that aims to align a patient’s flow of energy. Dry needling has its roots in Western medicine and has only recently become widely used by physical therapists and other medical professionals.

Will My Insurance Cover Dry Needling?

That depends on your specific insurance plan. At Axes, we believe everyone should have access to the effective and evidence-backed physical therapy they need to improve their quality of life and get back to living the life they want. We are more than happy to go over your insurance plan and see if dry needling is covered.

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

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

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

We’ve seen so many patients frustrated by an inability to find pain relief or a return to normal function and activity through medication or other treatments. At Axes, our qualified and skilled physical and occupational in Berkeley, MO work with you as a team to implement a customized treatment plan that research and experience tells us is effective. We’ve pledged our practice to getting the best results for our clients and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that hitting a home run on your local softball team, taking a morning job, or just being able to go about your day without feeling any pain. Reach out to a professional Berkeley, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.

Berkeley, MO