Dry Needling Greater Crestwood, MO. It’s impossible to describe how it feels when pain and lack of motion in our bodies is preventing us from engaging in the activities we love, or even make basic tasks like climbing the stairs difficult or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Crestwood, MO, we are constantly looking for new and treatments that have been proven through research to help Crestwood, 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 a beneficial, effortless, and vital part of a more comprehensive treatment regiment with us. We tailor all of our physical therapy services specifically to each client, their injury, and the activity level they’re striving to get back to. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in Crestwood, MO online or reach out to the location nearest you and we will shepherd you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. While it may be tough to believe now, with our customized care you will be sprinting down the court, jogging through the park, or just painlessly going through daily life in no time.
What is Dry Needling? | Crestwood, MO Physical Therapy
Dry needling, also referred to as trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to perforate the skin and musculoskeletal tissue in order to reduce persistent pain, improve range of motion and return you to normal function and the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapists often use it to amplify the effects of a holistic physical therapy plan along with posture education, stretching, electrical stimulation, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be done by healthcare professionals in Crestwood, MO, such as the qualified and knowledgeable physical therapists at Axes.
Dry needling is often used to treat myofascial pain. “Myofacial” comes from Greek, with myo meaning muscles and fascia meaning a “flat band,” or the connective tissue inside and surrounding the muscles. Myofascial pain is considered a chronic pain condition that can drastically limit people in their daily lives for months or even years. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is an easy and cost-effective alternative for Crestwood, MO residents who are burdened with the exorbitant cost of medication or have been frustrated by poor results from other treatments.
We’ve also implemented trigger point dry needling for Crestwood, MO residents with:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Knee injuries and other joint conditions
- Chronic migraines and headaches
- Arthritis
- Rotator cuff tears
- Certain sports injuries
- Various spinal issues
- Various hand injuries like carpal tunnel
- Phantom pain
- Sciatica
If you’ve been flummoxed by treatments that just aren’t producing positive outcomes and are getting anxious to get back to the activities you love, make an appointment for a free screening for your injury or chronic pain with one of our licensed physical and occupational therapists to see if dry needling could finally be the solution you need to end your chronic pain for good.
How Does Dry Needling Work? | Crestwood, MO Physical Therapy
With dry needling, we treat patients by attacking trigger points in the body that are the root cause of your pain and lack of mobility. The pain may either be specific to the trigger point, or radiate out to affect an entire joint or muscle group. Trigger points are portions of damaged knotted or strained muscles or tissue that restrict blood flow to that area and surrounding areas. That makes recovery more difficult. By softly stabbing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Crestwood, MO helps induce a natural bodily reaction; the micro-tears tell the body to start the healing process and return blood flow, oxygen, and crucial nutrients into the area. When the tissue is pierced, the needles will induce 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, homegrown pain reliever.

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Crestwood, MO
Does Dry Needling Hurt?
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 Crestwood, MO patients don’t even sense them pierce the skin. some patients report mild discomfort from the twitch response, but it is incredibly brief and shows that the desired effect is already taking hold. You may feel some soreness in the area for the first day or two, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if you haven’t already.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
When it’s carried out by qualified physical therapists, yes. All of our physical therapists in Crestwood, MO are skilled professionals with a extensive grasp of the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system.
Is Dry Needling Really Effective?
Absolutely, especially when combined with other pain management and mobility techniques. At Axes, our Crestwood, MO physical therapists only use techniques and practices that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive research. 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?
The specific dry needling techniques we use will be personalized to your needs. 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 manipulate harder to reach muscles and tissue. 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. Most patients need anywhere from one to six sessions to fully reduce pain and restore mobility. We’ll customize your plan to you to get you the best outcome possible and efficiently return you to the activities that are most important to you.
How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?
Some Crestwood, MO clients obtain immediate relief, while others have to wait a day or two after their first appointment.
Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?
Not really. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique, invented thousands of years ago, that seeks to balance a patient’s “life force.” 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?
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 the active lifestyle they’re accustomed to. If it’s most convenient for you, we can go over your insurance plan and determine if physical therapy is included in your coverage.
Some of the other services we offer in Crestwood, MO are:
- Neck Pain Treatment
- Physical Therapy Clinic
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
- Sciatica Treatment
- Sports Medicine
- Hand Pain Physical Therapy
- Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
- Hip Pain Treatment
- Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
- Stroke Rehabilitation

Trigger Point Dry Needling in Crestwood, 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 knowledgeable physical and occupational in Crestwood, MO work with you as a team to design a tailored treatment plan that we’ve seen be successful with our own eyes. We’ve dedicated our practice to reducing and eliminating pain, restoring mobility, and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that running a fast break, dominating your local pickleball league, or just being able to go about your day without feeling any pain. Reach out to an experienced Crestwood, MO physical therapist online or call the location nearest you.








