Dry Needling St. Ann, MO

Dry Needling Greater St. Ann, MO. It’s impossible to describe how it feels when pain and lack of motion in our bodies is preventing us from participating in the activities we love, or even make basic movements like getting in and out of the car painful or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Ann, MO, we are constantly looking for innovative and evidence-backed treatments to help St. Ann, MO residents get back to their active lifestyle, or just finally live pain free again. Dry needling has proven to be an indispensable 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, the pain or injury that’s affecting them, and the activity level they’re striving to get back to. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in St. Ann, MO online or find the location nearest you and we will guide you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. Though it may be difficult to believe now, with our personalized care you will be skipping out the door in no time.

What is Dry Needling? | St. Ann, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, employs thin filiform needles to puncture the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to alleviate persistent pain, improve range of motion and return you to the physical lifestyle your used to. Physical therapists often use it as part of a comprehensive physical therapy regiment along with posture education, exercises, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should solely be performed by medical professionals in St. Ann, MO, such as the professional and skilled 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 referred to as a chronic pain condition that can drastically limit people in their daily lives for months or even years. We’ve found that dry needling is a simple and affordable pain reliever for St. Ann, MO residents who are saddled by the increasing cost of medication or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

We’ve also found trigger point dry needling to be effective for St. Ann, 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 frustrated by treatments that just aren’t producing results and are doubting whether or not 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 qualified 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? | St. Ann, 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 portions of inflamed knotted or strained 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 puncturing or tearing damaged muscles or tissue, your Axes physical therapist in St. Ann, MO helps induce an instinctive response in your nervous system; the micro-tears signal the body to heal the muscle and tissue and promote the flow of blood and crucial nutrients into the area. Also, the needles will stimulate 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, 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 to penetrate your muscles are eight times thinner than needles used for injections, so many of our St. Ann, MO patients don’t even notice them until they get deeper into the muscle. You may feel some light irritation from the twitch response, but it only lasts for a second and shows that the desired effect is already taking hold. Some patients report some soreness in the area for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start feeling the beneficial effects, if not earlier.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s conducted by qualified physical therapists, yes. team in St. Ann, MO is made up of skilled professionals with a thorough 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 physical therapy regiment. At Axes, our St. Ann, MO physical therapists only recommend treatments that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive research. 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?

We base that on you, your level of pain, lack of mobility, and the affected body part. Some piercings will be largely superficial and the needles will only stay in for 15-20 seconds. Other times, the needles will stay in for as many as 15 or 20 minutes and penetrate deep into the muscle, as often dry needling is the easiest way to manipulate 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 customize your experience to you to get you the best outcome possible and effectively get you back 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 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?

Not really. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that seeks to align a person’s “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 particular 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 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 licensed and knowledgeable physical in St. Ann, MO act as part of your team to implement a customized treatment plan that research and experience tells us is effective. 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 running a fast break, dominating your local pickleball league, or just being able to wake up, go to sleep, and in between do what you want to do without feeling any pain. Contact a knowledgeable St. Ann, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.