Dry Needling Valley Park, MO | Pain Management

Dry Needling Greater Valley Park, 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 challenging or even impossible. At Axes Physical Therapy in Valley Park, MO, we are constantly looking for new and treatments that have been demonstrated through research to help Valley Park, MO residents recover from their injuries or chronic pain and get back to their active lifestyle. Many of our patients have found that dry needling is an effective, easy, and vital part of their larger treatment regiment with us. All of our treatment plans are personalized for 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 Valley Park, MO online or call the location most convenient for you and we will guide you toward results and a positive outcome you may have never thought possible. Though it may be hard to believe now, with our personalized care you will be skipping out the door sooner than you think.

What is Dry Needling? | Valley Park, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling, uses thin filiform needles to penetrate the skin and underlying muscles and connective tissue in order to relieve chronic pain, improve range of motion and return you to normal function and the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapists often use it to amplify the effects of a holistic treatment regiment along with posture education, exercises, heat therapy, and more. Dry needling should only ever be performed by healthcare professionals in Valley Park, MO, such as the professional and knowledgeable physical 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 condition that can drastically limit people in their daily lives until they find appropriate and effective treatment. We’ve found that dry needling is an easy and economical option for Valley Park, MO residents who are saddled by the rising price of prescription meds or have been frustrated by poor results from other treatments.

Trigger point dry needling is also ideal for Valley Park, 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
Certain spinal issues
Various hand injuries like carpal tunnel
Phantom pain
Sciatica

If you’ve been discouraged 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, schedule a free screening for your injury or chronic pain with one of our qualified physical and occupational therapists to discover if dry needling can be implemented into a holistic and evidence-backed treatment plan with Axes.

How Does Dry Needling Work? | Valley Park, MO Physical Therapy

Dry needling works 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 tight or strained muscles or tissue that inhibit the flow of blood to that muscle. That makes recovery more difficult. By softly piercing or tearing damaged muscles or tissue, your Axes physical therapist in Valley Park, MO helps induce a natural bodily reaction; the micro-tears signal the body to heal the muscle and tissue and return blood flow, oxygen, and critical nutrients into the area. When the tissue is pierced, 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, which naturally reduces pain and even improves happiness.

Dry Needling Valley Park, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near Valley Park

Frequently Asked Questions: Trigger Point Dry Needling in Valley Park, MO

Does Dry Needling Hurt?

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 Valley Park, MO patients don’t even feel them pierce the skin. You may feel some slight discomfort once the nerve pathways have been activated, but it only lasts for a second and indicates that your body is initiating the desired response. You may feel some dull aches in the area for up to a couple days, but after that, you should start noticing improvements in pain and mobility, if you haven’t already.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

When it’s conducted by qualified physical therapists, there is nothing to worry about. All of our physical therapists in Valley Park, MO are skilled professionals with a deep 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 Valley Park, MO physical therapists only develop plans that we know are effective because of our experience and 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?

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. Other times, the needles will remain for a few minutes and penetrate deep into the muscle, as often dry needling is the only way to treat tissue deep within the muscles. All Axes physical therapy regiments are unique, just like our patients.

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 plan to you to get you the best outcome possible and efficiently get you back to doing what you love most.

How Quickly Does Dry Needling Work?

Some Valley Park, MO patients can feel improvements 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?

This is a common misconception, but no. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical technique that aims to align a patient’s flow of energy. Dry needling is based on Western medicine and has only become popular 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 improve their quality of life and get back to the active lifestyle they’re accustomed to. 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 Valley Park, MO are:

Dry Needling Valley Park, MO | Pain Management | Trigger Point Dry Needling Near Valley Park

Trigger Point Dry Needling in Valley Park, 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 Valley Park, MO act as part of your team to develop a personalized treatment plan that we’ve seen be successful with our own eyes. We’ve pledged our practice to reducing and eliminating pain, restoring mobility, 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 wake up, go to sleep, and in between do what you want to do without feeling any pain. Reach out to an experienced Valley Park, MO physical therapist online or call the location nearest you.

Valley Park, MO