Dry Needling Greater Creve Coeur, MO. It’s hard to describe how debilitating it can be when pain and lack of motion in our bodies is preventing us from engaging in the activities we love, or even make daily tasks like standing up or sitting down challenging or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Creve Coeur, MO, we are constantly looking for cutting edge and evidence-backed treatments to help Creve Coeur, MO residents get back to their active lifestyle, or just finally live pain free again. Dry needling has proven to be a critical tool for many of our patients that eases pain, releases tension, and restores mobility. All of our treatment plans are personalized for each client, their ailment, and the activity level they’re striving to get back to. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in Creve Coeur, MO online or reach out to the location nearest you and we will guide you toward true pain relief and freedom of mobility. While it might sound to good to be true, with our personalized care you will be skipping out the door sooner than you think.
What is Dry Needling? | Creve Coeur, 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 chronic pain, improve range of motion and return you to the physical lifestyle your used to. Physical therapists often use it as part of a holistic physical therapy regiment that can include posture education, exercises, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should only ever be performed by healthcare professionals in Creve Coeur, MO, such as the licensed and skilled 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 simple and affordable pain reliever for Creve Coeur, MO residents who are burdened with the exorbitant cost of medication or have been frustrated by lack of results from other treatments.
Trigger point dry needling is also ideal for Creve Coeur, MO patients 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 unsuccessful treatments in the past 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 experienced physical and occupational therapists to learn if dry needling can be implemented into a comprehensive and evidence-backed physical therapy plan with Axes.
How Does Dry Needling Work? | Creve Coeur, 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 segments of inflamed tight or irritated muscles or tissue that restrict the flow of blood to that muscle. That means the affected area is not able to heal as it needs to. By lightly puncturing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Creve Coeur, MO helps prompt an instinctive response in your nervous system; the micro-tears tell the body to go into healing mode and return blood flow, oxygen, and vital nutrients into the area. Also, the needles will induce a “twitch” response by sending Axons, or nerve fibers, to the affected areathat will make the trigger point less irritable. That that communication within the nervous system releases endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Creve Coeur, MO
Does Dry Needling Hurt?
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 Creve Coeur, MO patients don’t even feel them until they get deeper into the muscle. You may feel some light irritation once the nerve pathways have been activated, but it lasts for less than two seconds and shows that the desired effect is already taking hold. Some patients report some soreness in the affected region for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if not earlier.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
When it’s carried out by experienced physical therapists, yes. All of our physical and occupational therapists in Creve Coeur, MO are knowledgeable professionals with a deep understanding of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems and safe practices.
Is Dry Needling Really Effective?
Absolutely, especially when it is part of a larger, comprehensive treatment regiment. At Axes, our Creve Coeur, MO physical therapists only recommend treatments 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?
We base that on you, how severe the pain is, lack of mobility, and the affected muscle area. Some piercings will not go very deep and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. Other times, 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 depends on you. Some patients see significant improvement after one session, while others need five or six sessions to get the full benefit. We’ll tailor your experience to you to get you the maximum benefit and effectively get you back to the activities that are most important to you.
How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?
Some Creve Coeur, MO clients express immediate relief, while others may have to wait a day, or may not feel the benefits until their second session.
Isn’t Dry Needling Just the Same as Acupuncture?
Not really. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique, practiced for thousands of years, that seeks to align a person’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?
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. We are more than happy to call your insurance company and investigate how much coverage you can receive.
Some of the other services we offer in Creve Coeur, MO are:
- Back Pain Treatment
- 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

Trigger Point Dry Needling in Creve Coeur, 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 experienced physical in Creve Coeur, MO work with you as a team to design a customized treatment plan that we’ve seen be successful with our own eyes. We’ve devoted our practice to reducing and eliminating pain, restoring mobility, 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 go about your day without feeling any pain. Get in touch with an experienced Creve Coeur, MO physical therapist online or call the location most convenient for you.
