Dry Needling Greater Flint Hill, MO. It’s hard to describe how it feels when pain and lack of motion in our bodies won’t allows us to participate in the the things we love doing, or even make ordinary movements like reaching for something on the top shelf painful or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO, we are constantly looking for innovative and treatments that have been proven through research to help Flint Hill, 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 relieves pain, releases tension, and restores mobility. Our treatment plans are as distinctive as each client, the pain or injury that’s affecting them, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in Flint Hill, MO online or reach out to the location nearest you and we will guide you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. 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? | Flint Hill, MO Physical Therapy
Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, employs thin filiform needles to pierce the skin and musculoskeletal tissue in order to reduce frequent 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 broader physical therapy regiment along with posture correction, exercises, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should solely be carried out by healthcare professionals in Flint Hill, MO, such as the qualified and knowledgeable physical therapists at Axes.
Dry needling is often used to treat myofascial pain. “Myofacial” is rooted in 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 affect people for months or even years. We’ve found that dry needling is a simple and economical pain reliever for Flint Hill, MO residents who are burdened with the increasing cost of prescription meds or have been frustrated by lack of results from other treatments.
We’ve also found trigger point dry needling to be effective for Flint Hill, MO residents with:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Knee injuries and other joint problems
- 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 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 knowledgeable physical and occupational therapists to see if dry needling can be implemented into a holistic and evidence-backed physical therapy plan with Axes.
How Does Dry Needling Work? | Flint Hill, 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 taut or irritated muscles or tissue that limit the flow of blood to that muscle. That means the affected area is not able to heal as it needs to. By gently piercing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Flint Hill, MO helps induce a natural response in your nervous system; the micro-tears tell the body to start the healing process and return blood flow, oxygen, and vital nutrients into the area. In addition, the needles will prompt 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, the body’s own, natural feel-good hormone.
Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Flint Hill, MO
Does Dry Needling Hurt?
The needles used to penetrate your muscles are eight times thinner than needles typically used at hospitals and doctors’ appointments for injections or blood samples, so many of our Flint Hill, MO patients don’t even sense them at first. You may feel some light irritation once the nerve pathways have been activated, but it only lasts for a second and is a signal that dry needling is working. You may feel some dull aches in the affected region for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if you haven’t already.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
When it’s done by professional physical therapists, yes. team in Flint Hill, MO is made up of skilled professionals with a extensive understanding of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems and safe practices.
Is Dry Needling Really Effective?
Absolutely, especially when combined with other pain management and mobility techniques. At Axes, our Flint Hill, MO physical therapists only use techniques and practices that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive medical and academic studies. Studies show 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?
The specific dry needling techniques we use will be personalized to your needs. 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 only 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 depends on you. Most patients need anywhere from one to six sessions to fully reduce pain and restore mobility. We’ll personalize your experience to you to get you the maximum benefit and safely get you back to doing what you love most.
How Quickly Will I See Results With Dry Needling?
Some Flint Hill, MO clients can feel the process working right away, while others will need two or three sessions. Rest assured, all of our patients eventually see improvements.
Isn’t Dry Needling Just the Same as Acupuncture?
Not really. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that seeks to align a person’s “chi,” or vital 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 living the life they want. If it’s easiest for you, we can reach out to your insurance company and see if dry needling is covered.
Some of the other services we offer in Flint Hill, MO are:
- Injury Rehabilitation
- Pain Management Services
- TMJ Treatment
- Herniated Disc Treatment
- Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
- Running Injury
- MCL Tear
- ACL Rehabilitation
- Functional Capacity Evaluation
- Vertigo Treatment
Trigger Point Dry Needling in Flint Hill, MO | Axes Physical Therapy
Many of our patients come to us as their last resort because, after all sorts of medication and other treatments, they still just can’t find relief. At Axes, our professional and skilled physical in Flint Hill, MO work with you as a team to develop a customized treatment plan that we’ve seen be successful with our own eyes. We’ve pledged 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, taking a morning job, or just being able to go about your day without feeling any pain. Get in touch with a professional Flint Hill, MO physical therapist online or call the location nearest you.