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Page 2 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor September 24, 2020
Dry needling therapy
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Health h • Fitness • Mind • Spirit piri p irit • Medicine dicine • Well-Being W
re you constantly rubbing the knots in your neck or back muscles? Does your knee or hip ache? Do you experience sciatic pain that radiates from the buttock region down the back of your leg If so, you will definitely want to try an amazing treatment procedure, Dry Needling (DN), offered by physical therapists. Muscular tightness and spasm caused by stress, poor posture, or injuries can lead to compression and irritation of the nerves exiting the spine. When the nerves are irritated, they cause a protective spasm of all the muscles they connect to or innervate. This protective spasm or tightness can cause problems like sciatica, carpel tunnel, low back pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, headaches, decreased mobility and chronic pain. Physical therapists insert small, thin needles into the muscular trigger point (knot) causing the muscle to contract and rapidly release — an involuntary spinal cord re ex. Releasing the trigger point improves exibility of the muscle, provides pain relief, and decreases symptoms. Similarities exist between dry needling and acupuncture — they both use solid dry needles in contrast to a hollow hypodermic needle used for injections. However, there are differences too, acupuncturists, according to traditional Chinese medicine, insert the needle into acupuncture points situated on meridians where qi (life energy) ows, whereas physical therapists insert the needle into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point. Side effects of DN include muscular soreness and can last for a few hours up to
two days. Light exercise, heat or ice can be applied to the Surveyor muscles after treatment to reduce soreness. Columnist ae Russo, former office manager at Physical Therapy Doctors was initially hesitant to try DN. She states, “I was reluctant to try DN initially because I don’t particularly care for needles. However, after watching an 84 year old man — who could barely walk into the clinic — leave the clinic performing a jig, and three subsequent clients left extremely happy, I decided to try it. The needling didn’t really hurt. I just felt a tiny, momentary jolt in my muscle. I had immediate pain relief in my hip and increased hip range of motion. I’ve been able to walk on the treadmill pain free for the first time in years. Dr. Caroline Nurse practitioner and breast cancer Creager, PT, DPT survivor, Jennifer Knodle, recently tried dry needling for the first time. I woke up this morning and had 100 relief from my back pain. She was not only pleasantly surprised by how much dry needling reduced her muscle tension, but how it improved her circulation and lymphatic ow. I had a double mastectomy with lymph node removal, and this has caused my hand and elbow to hurt from swelling in the joints. The dry needling has improved my circulation, lymph drainage, and decreased the swelling and joint pain in my hand and elbow. I would definitely recommend dry needling. The relief is so much greater than the mild discomfort from the needling. If you’re on pins and needles and can’t wait to try out this unique technique, Physical Therapy Doctors would like to offer you 50 off your first dry needling session if you contact them by Oct. 15. Visit their website at www.physicaltherapydoctors.net or call them at 970-532-2533 to schedule a dry needling session.
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