Dry Needling Greater Maryland Heights, MO. It’s hard to describe how upsetting it can be when pain and lack of mobility in our bodies won’t allows us to participate in the the things we love doing, or even make basic movements like climbing the stairs challenging or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Maryland Heights, MO, we are constantly looking for innovative and evidence-backed treatments to help Maryland Heights, MO residents return to normalcy and get back to what they most love doing. Many of our patients have found that dry needling is an effective, simple, and important part of a more comprehensive treatment plan with us. We tailor all of our physical therapy services specifically to 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 Maryland Heights, MO online or call the location closest to 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 tailored care you will be leaping for joy sooner than you think.
What is Dry Needling? | Maryland Heights, MO Physical Therapy
Dry needling, also called trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to penetrate the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to relieve chronic pain, boost range of motion and return you to normal function and the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapists often include it in a holistic physical therapy plan that can include posture correction, manual therapy, electrical stimulation, and more. Dry needling should only ever be performed by healthcare professionals in Maryland Heights, MO, such as the professional and experienced 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 known as a chronic pain condition that can affect people until they find appropriate and successful treatment. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a safe and affordable alternative for Maryland Heights, MO residents who are burdened with the rising price of medication or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.
We’ve also implemented trigger point dry needling for Maryland Heights, 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
- Certain spinal issues
- Various hand injuries like carpal tunnel
- Phantom pain
- Sciatica
If you’ve been flummoxed by unsuccessful treatments in the past 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 knowledgeable physical and occupational therapists to learn if dry needling can be implemented into a comprehensive and proven treatment plan with Axes.
How Does Dry Needling Work? | Maryland Heights, 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 joint or muscle group. Trigger points are segments of inflamed knotted or stressed muscles or tissue that inhibit the flow of blood to that muscle. That makes recovery more difficult. By lightly piercing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Maryland Heights, MO helps prompt an intuitive bodily reaction; the micro-tears influence the body to go into healing mode and promote the flow of blood and essential nutrients into the area. In addition, 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 Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO patients don’t even notice them at first. You may feel some mild irritation once the nerve pathways have been activated, but it is incredibly brief and shows that the desired effect is already taking hold. Some patients report some dull aches in the pierced muscle or tissue for 24 to 48 hours, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if not earlier.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
When it’s conducted by professional physical therapists, yes. All of our physical and occupational therapists in Maryland Heights, MO are skilled professionals with a thorough understanding of the human body.
Is Dry Needling Really Effective?
Without a doubt, especially when combined with other pain management and mobility techniques. At Axes, our Maryland Heights, 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 function, and the affected tissue. Some piercings will be incredibly shallow and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. Other times, 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 only way to manipulate tissue deep within the muscles. All Axes treatment plans are unique, just like our patients.
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 experience to you to get you the best outcome possible and efficiently return you to the activities that matter most to you.
How Quickly Will I See Results With Dry Needling?
Some Maryland Heights, MO clients 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, practiced for thousands of years, that seeks to align a person’s “life force.” Dry needling is based on Western medicine and has only been widely used in the last couple decades.
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 the active lifestyle they’re accustomed to. If you’d like, we’ll contact your insurance company and see if dry needling is covered.
Some of the other services we offer in Maryland Heights, MO are:
- Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
- Sprain and Strain Treatment
- Geriatric Physical Therapy
- Injury Rehabilitation
- Pain Management Services
- TMJ Treatment
- Herniated Disc Treatment
- Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment
- Running Injury
Trigger Point Dry Needling in Maryland Heights, 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 professional and knowledgeable physical in Maryland Heights, MO act as part of your team to design a personalized treatment plan that research and experience tells us is effective. We’ve dedicated our practice to reducing and eliminating pain, restoring mobility, and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that hitting a home run on your local softball team, biking through the park, or bending down and picking up your grandkids without feeling any pain. Contact an experienced Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.
