Dry Needling St. Ann, MO | Pain Management

Dry Needling Greater St. Ann, MO. It’s impossible to describe how it feels when pain and lack of mobility in our bodies is preventing us from engaging in the activities we love, or even make daily tasks like reaching for something on the top shelf difficult or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Ann, MO, we are constantly looking for new and treatments that have been proven through research to help St. Ann, 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 a more comprehensive treatment plan with us. All of our treatment plans are personalized for each client, their injury, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in St. Ann, MO online or call the location closest to you and we will shepherd you toward true pain relief and freedom of mobility. 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? | St. Ann, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to pierce the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to relieve frequent 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 broader treatment regiment along with posture correction, stretching, massages, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be performed by medical professionals in St. Ann, MO, such as the licensed and skilled 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 disorder that can greatly limit people in their daily lives for months or even years. We’ve found that dry needling is an easy and affordable option for St. Ann, MO residents who are burdened with the rising cost of medication or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

Trigger point dry needling is also ideal for St. Ann, MO residents with:

Soft tissue injuries
Back pain
Neck pain
Knee injuries and other joint issues
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 frustrated by treatments that just aren’t producing positive outcomes 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 knowledgeable physical and occupational therapists to discover if dry needling could finally be the solution you need to end your chronic pain for good.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | St. Ann, 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 joint or muscle group. Trigger points are segments of damaged knotted or irritated muscles or tissue that impede the flow of blood to that muscle. That means the affected area is not able to heal as it needs to. By lightly stabbing or tearing damaged muscles or tissue, your Axes physical therapist in St. Ann, MO helps prompt an instinctive 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. Also, the needles will stimulate 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, the body’s own, homegrown pain reliever.

Dry Needling St. Ann, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near St. Ann

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in St. Ann, MO

Does Dry Needling Hurt?

The needles used in dry needling are eight times thinner than needles used for injections, so many of our St. Ann, MO patients don’t even sense them until they get deeper into the muscle. some patients report light irritation when the twitch response is induced, but it lasts for less than two seconds and is a signal that dry needling is working. You may feel some soreness in the area for the first day or two, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if not earlier.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s done by qualified physical therapists, there is nothing to worry about. team in St. Ann, MO is made up of knowledgeable professionals with a deep grasp 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 St. Ann, MO physical therapists only recommend treatments that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive medical and academic studies. Studies have demonstrated that trigger point dry needling effectively reduces pain and improves function.

How Long Do The Needles Stay in For? How Deep They Go?

That depends on you, how severe the pain is, lack of mobility, and the affected tissue. Some piercings will be largely superficial and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. In other cases, the needles will remain for as many as 15 or 20 minutes and penetrate deep into 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 maximum benefit and efficiently return you to doing what you love most.

How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?

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

Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?

Not really. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique, invented thousands of years ago, that seeks to balance a patient’s “chi,” or vital life force. Dry needling is based on Western medicine and has only become popular in the last couple 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 improve their quality of life and get back to feeling like themselves. 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 St. Ann, MO are:

Dry Needling St. Ann, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near St. Ann

Trigger Point Dry Needling in St. Ann, 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 knowledgeable physical in St. Ann, MO act as part of your team to implement a customized treatment plan that we’ve seen be successful with our own eyes. We’ve devoted our practice to getting the best results for our clients and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that be sliding into home plate, biking through the park, or just being able to go about your day without feeling any pain. Contact a knowledgeable St. Ann, MO physical therapist online or call the location most convenient for you.

St. Ann, MO