Dry Needling St. George, MO

Dry Needling Greater St. George, MO. It’s impossible to describe how crippling it can be when pain and lack of motion in our bodies keep us from the activities we love, or even make basic movements like climbing the stairs difficult or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in St. George, MO, we are constantly looking for cutting edge and treatments that have been demonstrated through research to help St. George, MO residents return to normalcy and get back to their active lifestyle. Dry needling has proven to be an invaluable tool for many of our patients that relieves pain, releases tension, and restores mobility. We tailor all of our physical therapy services specifically to each client, their ailment, and the life they want to live. Contact Axes Physical Therapy in St. George, MO online or call the location nearest 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 skipping out the door sooner than you think.

What is Dry Needling? | St. George, 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 reduce persistent pain, enhance range of motion and return you to feeling like you again. Physical therapists often use it as part of a holistic physical therapy plan that can include posture education, manual therapy, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should exclusively be done by healthcare professionals in St. George, MO, such as the professional and knowledgeable physical and occupational 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 considered a chronic pain disorder that can affect people for months or even years. In our experience and based on our research, dry needling is a simple and cost-effective alternative for St. George, MO residents who are saddled by the increasing price of medication or have been frustrated by poor results from other treatments.

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

Soft tissue injuries
Back pain
Neck pain
Knee injuries and other joint issues
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 frustrated by treatments that just aren’t working 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 discover if dry needling could finally be the solution you’ve been waiting for.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | St. George, 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 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 inflamed tight or stressed muscles or tissue that inhibit the flow of blood to that muscle. That means the affected area is not able to heal as it needs to. By gently puncturing or tearing damaged muscles or tissue, your Axes physical therapist in St. George, MO helps induce an instinctive response in your nervous system; the micro-tears signal the body to go into healing mode and promote the flow of blood and essential nutrients into the area. In addition, the needles will induce a “twitch” response by initiating a nerve pathway that can change the biochemical makeup of the trigger point. That tells the brain to release endorphins, the body’s own, homegrown painkiller.

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

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

Is Dry Needling Painful?

The needles that physical therapists use in dry needling are eight times thinner than needles used for injections, so many of our St. George, MO patients don’t even feel them until they get deeper into the muscle. You may feel some light discomfort from the twitch response, but it lasts for less than two seconds and shows that the desired effect is already taking hold. You may feel some dull aches in the pierced muscle or tissue 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 carried out by qualified physical therapists, there is absolutely no risk. All of our physical therapists in St. George, MO are knowledgeable professionals with a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system.

Is Dry Needling Really Effective?

Without a doubt, especially when it is part of a larger, comprehensive treatment regiment. At Axes, our St. George, MO physical therapists only develop plans that we know are effective because of our experience and extensive medical and academic studies. 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?

We base that 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 go to the core of 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. 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 plan to you to get you the best outcome possible and efficiently get you back to the activities that are most important to you.

How Quickly Will I See Results With Dry Needling?

Some St. George, MO clients find immediate relief, while others will need two or three sessions. Rest assured, all of our patients eventually see improvements.

Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?

Not really. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that seeks to balance a patient’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?

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. We are more than happy to go over your insurance plan and determine if physical therapy is included in your coverage.

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

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

Trigger Point Dry Needling in St. George, 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 qualified and experienced physical in St. George, 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 backward kicks on a soccer field, 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. George, MO physical therapist online or call the location nearest you.