Dry Needling St. Clair, MO

Dry Needling Greater St. Clair, MO. It’s hard to describe how debilitating it can be when pain and lack of motion in our bodies won’t allows us to participate in the the things we love doing, or even make ordinary tasks like reaching for something on the top shelf difficult or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in St. Clair, MO, we are constantly looking for new and evidence-backed treatments to help St. Clair, MO residents recover from their injuries or chronic pain and get back to what they most love doing. Many of our patients have found that dry needling is a valuable, easy, and important part of a more comprehensive physical therapy regiment with us. We tailor all of our physical therapy services specifically to each client, the pain or injury that’s affecting them, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in St. Clair, MO online or find the location closest to you and we will guide you away from chronic pain and back to the activities you love. Though it may be tough to believe now, with our personalized care you will be leaping for joy sooner than you think.

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

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, employs thin filiform needles to pierce the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to relieve frequent pain, improve range of motion and return you to normal function and the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapists often include it in a larger physical therapy plan that can include posture correction, stretching, electrical stimulation, and more. Dry needling should solely be done by healthcare professionals in St. Clair, MO, such as the licensed 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 for months or even years. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a safe and affordable alternative for St. Clair, MO residents who are saddled by the exorbitant cost of medication or have not seen their symptoms improve with other treatments.

We’ve also implemented trigger point dry needling for St. Clair, MO patients with:

Soft tissue injuries
Back pain
Neck pain
Knee injuries and other joint problems
Chronic migraines and headaches
Arthritis
Rotator cuff tears
Various sports injuries
Various spinal issues
Certain hand injuries like carpal tunnel
Phantom pain
Sciatica

If you’ve been vexed 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 expert physical and occupational therapists to discover if dry needling could finally be the solution you’ve been waiting for.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | St. Clair, 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 portions of damaged knotted or irritated muscles or tissue that restrict blood flow to that area and surrounding areas. That means the affected area is not able to heal as it needs to. By gently piercing or tearing the knots in your tissue, your Axes physical therapist in St. Clair, MO helps stimulate an intuitive 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. When the tissue is pierced, 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 to the brain releases endorphins, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

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

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

Is Dry Needling Painful?

The needles that physical therapists use in dry needling are eight times thinner than needles used for shots and vaccines, so many of our St. Clair, MO patients don’t even feel them until they get deeper into the muscle. You may feel some slight irritation when the twitch response is induced, but it is incredibly brief and is a signal that dry needling is working. You may feel some dull aches in the area for the first day or two, but after that, you should start noticing improvements in pain and mobility, if not earlier.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s conducted by experienced physical therapists, there is nothing to worry about. team in St. Clair, MO is made up of skilled professionals with a thorough grasp of the human body.

Is Dry Needling Really Effective?

Absolutely, especially when combined with other pain management and mobility techniques. At Axes, our St. Clair, MO physical therapists only develop plans that have been proven to work through extensive research. 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, your level of pain, lack of mobility, and the affected tissue. Some piercings will not go very deep and the needles will be consistently moved and changed out. Other times, the needles will stay in for as many as 15 or 20 minutes and will go deeper into the muscle, as often dry needling is the most effective way to access 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 depends on you. Most patients need anywhere from one to six sessions to reap the full benefits. We’ll personalize your experience to you to get you the maximum benefit and safely get you back to doing what you love most.

How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?

Some St. Clair, MO patients express 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?

Only in that they use similar needles. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical technique that seeks to align a person’s “chi,” or vital 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 specific insurance plan. At Axes, we believe everyone deserves the professional, personalized, and proven treatment plans they need to improve their quality of life and get back to feeling like themselves. If it’s easiest for you, we can reach out to your insurance company and see if dry needling is covered.

Some of the other services we offer in St. Clair, MO are:

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

Trigger Point Dry Needling in St. Clair, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Many of our patients come to us after months or even years of pain and mobility issues that just won’t go away, even after extensive treatment. At Axes, our professional and experienced physical and occupational in St. Clair, MO work with you as a team to devise a tailored treatment plan with a proven track record of success. We’ve pledged our practice to getting the best results for our clients and getting you back to the activities you love most, whether that hitting a home run on your local softball team, taking a morning job, or bending down and picking up your grandkids without feeling any pain. Get in touch with a knowledgeable St. Clair, MO physical therapist online or call the location closest to you.