Dry Needling O'Fallon, MO | Pain Management

Dry Needling Greater O’Fallon, MO. It’s impossible to describe how upsetting it can be when pain and lack of mobility in our bodies is preventing us from participating in the the things we love doing, or even make daily movements like climbing the stairs painful or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in O’Fallon, MO, we are constantly looking for new and evidence-backed treatments to help O’Fallon, 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 valuable, effortless, and important part of their larger physical therapy regiment with us. All of our treatment plans are personalized for each client, their ailment, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in O’Fallon, MO online or find the location most convenient for you and we will shepherd 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 sprinting down the field, riding your bike, or just painlessly going through daily life sooner than you think.

What is Dry Needling? | O’Fallon, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also referred to as trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to puncture the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to relieve chronic pain, enhance range of motion and return you to feeling like you again. Physical therapists often use it to amplify the effects of a comprehensive treatment plan that can include posture education, stretching, electrical stimulation, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be done by medical professionals in O’Fallon, MO, such as the licensed and experienced physical 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 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 economical pain reliever for O’Fallon, MO residents who are saddled by the rising cost of medication or have been frustrated by lack of results from other treatments.

We’ve also implemented trigger point dry needling for O’Fallon, MO patients with:

Soft tissue injuries
Back pain
Neck pain
Knee injuries and other joint conditions
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 ineffective treatments in the past and are wondering if you’ll ever get back to the lifestyle and routine you love and had grown accustomed to, schedule a free screening for your injury or chronic pain with one of our expert physical and occupational therapists to learn if dry needling can be implemented into a comprehensive and proven physical therapy plan with Axes.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | O’Fallon, MO Physical Therapy

With dry needling, we treat patients by attacking trigger points in the body that are causing 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 sections of damaged knotted or strained muscles or tissue that restrict blood flow to that area and surrounding areas. That makes recovery more difficult. By lightly puncturing or tearing damaged muscles or tissue, your Axes physical therapist in O’Fallon, MO helps induce an instinctive response in your nervous system; the micro-tears signal the body to start the healing process and promote the flow of blood and vital nutrients into the area. In addition, the needles will prompt a “twitch” response by sending Axons, or nerve fibers, to the affected areathat will make the trigger point less irritable. That tells the brain to release endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

Dry Needling O'Fallon, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near O'Fallon

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in O’Fallon, MO

Is Dry Needling Painful?

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 O’Fallon, MO patients don’t even feel them until they get deeper into the muscle. You may feel some mild discomfort when the twitch response is induced, but it only lasts for a second and is a signal that dry needling is working. Some patients report some soreness in the affected region for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start noticing improvements in pain and mobility, if you haven’t already.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s done by experienced physical therapists, yes. All of our physical therapists in O’Fallon, MO are knowledgeable professionals with a extensive 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 O’Fallon, MO physical therapists only develop plans that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive research. 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 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 go to the core of 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 we will make a personalized recommendation based on your needs. Depending on your injury or pain and how your body heals, you could need anywhere from one to six sessions to get the most out of dry needling. We’ll personalize 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 Will I See Results With Dry Needling?

Some O’Fallon, MO clients obtain 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?

This is a common misconception, but no. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique, practiced for thousands of years, that aims to align a person’s “chi,” or vital life force. Dry needling has its roots in Western medicine and has only become popular in the last two or three decades.

Will My Insurance Cover Dry Needling?

That depends on your particular 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 you’d like, we’ll go over your insurance plan and investigate how much coverage you can receive.

Some of the other services we offer in O’Fallon, MO are:

Dry Needling O'Fallon, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near O'Fallon

Trigger Point Dry Needling in O’Fallon, 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 experienced physical in O’Fallon, MO act as part of your team to design a personalized treatment plan with a proven track record of success. We’ve pledged 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. Reach out to a knowledgeable O’Fallon, MO physical therapist online or call the location nearest you.