Dry Needling Greater Creve Coeur, MO. It’s hard to describe how devastating it can be when pain and lack of mobility in our bodies keep us from the the things we love doing, or even make daily movements like getting in and out of the car painful 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 an irreplaceable 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 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 results and a positive outcome you may have never thought possible. While it might sound to good to be true, with our customized care you will be sprinting down the field, riding your bike, or just painlessly going through daily life in no time.
What is Dry Needling? | Creve Coeur, 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, enhance range of motion and return you to normal function and the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapists often use it as part of a comprehensive treatment regiment that can include posture education, exercises, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should only ever be carried out by healthcare professionals in Creve Coeur, 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 affect people until they find proven and effective treatment. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a safe and affordable alternative for Creve Coeur, 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 Creve Coeur, MO patients with:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Knee injuries and other joint issues
- Chronic migraines and headaches
- Arthritis
- Rotator cuff tears
- Various sports injuries
- Various spinal issues
- Various hand injuries like carpal tunnel
- Phantom pain
- Sciatica
If you’ve been discouraged by treatments that just aren’t producing positive outcomes and are wondering if you’ll ever get back to the activities you love, schedule a free screening for your injury or chronic pain with one of our expert physical and occupational therapists to discover if dry needling can be implemented into a holistic and proven physical therapy regiment with Axes.
How Does Dry Needling Work? | Creve Coeur, MO Physical Therapy
With dry needling, we treat patients 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 damaged over-stretched or irritated muscles or tissue that restrict blood flow to that area and surrounding areas. That makes recovery more difficult. By gently puncturing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Creve Coeur, MO helps induce a natural bodily reaction; the micro-tears signal the body to go into healing mode and promote the flow of blood and vital nutrients into the area. When the tissue is pierced, 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 causes the brain to release endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.
Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Creve Coeur, MO
Is Dry Needling Painful?
The needles used in dry needling are eight times thinner than needles used for shots and vaccines, so many of our Creve Coeur, MO patients don’t even sense them pierce the skin. You may feel some mild discomfort from the twitch response, but it is incredibly brief and is a signal that dry needling is working. You may feel some dull aches in the pierced muscle or tissue for the first day or two, but after that, you should start noticing improvements in pain and mobility, if not earlier.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
When it’s carried out by qualified physical therapists, yes. All of our physical therapists in Creve Coeur, MO are skilled professionals with a thorough understanding 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 Creve Coeur, MO physical therapists only develop plans that have been proven to work through extensive medical and academic studies. Studies show the advantages 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?
The specific dry needling techniques we use will be tailored to your needs. Some piercings will be incredibly shallow and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. Other times, the needles will remain for a few minutes and go to the core of the muscle, as often dry needling is the easiest way to treat tissue deep within the muscles. 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 personalize your plan to you to get you the best outcome possible and effectively get you back to doing what you love most.
How Quickly Will I See Results With Dry Needling?
Some Creve Coeur, MO clients get 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?
Only in that they use similar needles. 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?
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 live without pain and get back to living the life they want. If it’s most convenient for you, we can go over your insurance plan and see if dry needling is covered.
Some of the other services we offer in Creve Coeur, MO are:
- Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
- Running Injury
- MCL Tear
- ACL Rehabilitation
- Functional Capacity Evaluation
- Vertigo Treatment
- Total Knee Replacement Physical Therapy
- Vestibular Therapy
- Concussion Treatment
- Soft Tissue Mobilization
Trigger Point Dry Needling in Creve Coeur, 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 licensed and experienced physical in Creve Coeur, MO work with you as a team to develop a customized treatment plan with a proven track record of success. We’ve committed our practice to positive patient outcomes and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that running a fast break, taking a morning job, or bending down and picking up your grandkids without feeling any pain. Contact a knowledgeable Creve Coeur, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.