Dry Needling South County, MO

Dry Needling Greater South County, MO. It’s hard to describe how devastating it can be when pain and lack of motion in our bodies won’t allows us to participate in the activities we love, or even make ordinary tasks like reaching for something on the top shelf painful or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in South County, MO, we are constantly looking for new and evidence-backed treatments to help South County, 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. We tailor all of our physical therapy services specifically to each client, their injury, and the activity level they’re striving to get back to. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in South County, MO online or reach out to the location most convenient for 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? | South County, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to penetrate the skin and musculoskeletal tissue in order to relieve chronic pain, boost 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 plan that can include posture education, manual therapy, massages, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be performed by medical professionals in South County, MO, such as the licensed and skilled physical and occupational therapists at Axes.

Dry needling is often used to treat myofascial pain. “Myofacial” comes from Greek, with myo meaning muscles and fascia meaning a “flat band,” or the connective tissue inside and surrounding the muscles. Myofascial pain is known as a chronic pain disorder that can significantly limit people in their daily lives until they find appropriate and effective treatment. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a safe and economical alternative for South County, MO residents who are burdened with the increasing price of prescription meds or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

Trigger point dry needling is also ideal for South County, MO residents 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
Certain spinal issues
Certain hand injuries like carpal tunnel
Phantom pain
Sciatica

If you’ve been vexed 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, make an appointment for 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 treatment plan with Axes.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | South County, 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 trigger point can either affect a localized area or affect an entire region of your body. Trigger points are portions of damaged tensed or stressed muscles or tissue that impede the flow of blood to that muscle. That means the affected area is not able to heal properly. By lightly puncturing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in South County, MO helps stimulate a natural response in your nervous system; the micro-tears signal the body to go into healing mode and return blood flow, oxygen, and essential nutrients into the area. Also, 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 to the brain releases endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

Dry Needling South County, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near South County

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in South County, MO

Is Dry Needling Painful?

The needles used 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 South County, MO patients don’t even feel them at first. You may feel some slight irritation when the twitch response is induced, but it lasts for less than two seconds and indicates that your body is initiating the desired response. Some patients report some dull aches in the affected region for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start feeling better, if you haven’t already.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s performed by experienced physical therapists, there is absolutely no risk. All of our physical and occupational therapists in South County, MO are knowledgeable professionals with a extensive grasp 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 South County, MO physical therapists only develop plans that have been proven to work through extensive research. Studies have demonstrated 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 largely superficial and the needles will be consistently moved and changed out. In other cases, the needles will remain for as many as 15 or 20 minutes and go to the core of the muscle, as often dry needling is the most effective way to access harder to reach muscles and tissue. All Axes physical therapy plans are unique, just like our patients.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

Again, that depends on you. 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 tailor your experience to you to get you the maximum benefit and effectively return you to doing what you love most.

How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?

Some South County, MO patients can feel the process working right away, while others have to wait a day or two after their first appointment.

Isn’t Dry Needling Just the Same as Acupuncture?

Only in that they use similar needles. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that aims to balance a person’s “life force.” Dry needling is based on Western medicine and has only been widely used in the last several decades.

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 living the life they want. If you’d like, we’ll call your insurance company and determine if physical therapy is included in your coverage.

Some of the other services we offer in South County, MO are:

Dry Needling South County, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near South County

Trigger Point Dry Needling in South County, 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 licensed and skilled physical in South County, MO work with you as a team to devise a personalized treatment plan with a proven track record of success. We’ve dedicated our practice to getting the best results for our clients 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 South County, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.