Dry needling is a broad term used to differentiate “non-injection” needling from the practice of “injection needling” which utilises a hyperdermic syringe and usually involves the injection of an agent such as saline, local anaesthetic or corticosteroid into the tissue or specific anatomical structures .In contrast to this, dry needling utilises a solid, filament needle, as is used in the practice of acupuncture, and relies on the stimulation of specific reactions in the target tissue for its therapeutic effect.
The term dry needling is also used to differentiate the use of needling in a western physiological paradigm from the use of needling in an oriental paradigm which is referred to as acupucture.
There are several popular, well established schools of dry needling practice and they commonly involve the needling of myofascial trigger points using acupuncture needles to deactivate and help resolve trigger points.
There are many limitations to this approach however and practitioners using such an approach are unlikely to achieve reliable results with the majority of the clients they see. This partly due to the limited variety in needle technique used and the reliance on the presence of trigger points. Consequently many practioners, after an initial burst of enthusiasm post studying dry needling, apply it less and less in the clinic until it it is barely being used by them at all.
The dry needling plus approach addresses many of the limitations of established dry needling practice by differentiating between a variety of needling techniques and applying them to specific changes identified in the tissue by means of skilled palpation and logical, range based physical assessment .
The dry needling plus approach demands a higher skill level of the practitioner than other approaches,however the rewards of investing time in attaining excellent assessment skills and needle technique are many.
In the hands of a skilled practitioner, dry needling can be used in most cases the majority of the time and with less energy expenditure on behalf of the practitioner and equal or better effect than other manual techniques currently being used.If practiced well there is also a remarkable absence of the “post treatment tissue soreness” often experienced by the subject following other manual therapy interventions.
What is acupuncture ?
Acupuncture-a brief overview
The needling of points on meridians in the the body to boost, harmonise and remove blockages in the flow of energy throughout the body.
It is one part of a system of healing developed in China which has spread through Asia and the western world. Traditionally, oriental healing included not only the needling of and application of moxa to points on the body but also herbal and diet therapy, several forms of massage or manipulative therapy (eg tuina) and exercise therapy(eg tai chi).
Oriental medicine uses a system of physiology wich imposes a system of channels or meridians on the body through which vital energy (qi) flows. These have branches deep into to the organs of the body and are the pathway through which the flow of energy in the meridians affects organ function and visa versa.
The internal organ system is like a turbine and pump systam that extracts energy from the air and food , refines it and pushes it around the body. Wastes are also excreted by the organ system. When imbalance arises in the organ system, energy flow in the meridians can be disturbed resulting in pain, tissue tightness or other symptoms being experienced. Where there is insufficient energy or it becomes stuck in the meridians pain , tissue tightness or other symptoms may be experienced.
The oriental modal also incorporates an aspect of genetics into its model. We are a combination of our predetermined cellular structure (dna) and the cumulative effects of our environment , our lifestyle and our spiritual or psychoemotional state.
Life places certain stresses apon us and our systems can to a point resist those stresses and allow us to exist in a painfree and disease free state.
If there are temporary changes or gradual deterioration in one or more of the above aspects of our being(structure,lifestyle,environment, psychoemotional) our ability to resist the stresses of life may be reduced predisposing us to pain or disease.
Acupuncture may help the imbalances in the organ and meridian system but if the changes in our system are not transient aspects of lifestyle may ultimately have to be addresed to achieve a maximum, lasting result. (Courtesy of dryneedling.com.au)
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