Dry Needling in Fenton, Michigan
What is dry needling? Dry needling is a manual therapy technique that involves inserting a very fine, flexible needle into muscle tissue. These needles are manufactured from German surgical steel with a layer of lubrication to improve comfort, and have a conductive metal handle. We utilize dry needling to insert needles into areas of muscle that we believe may be contributing to your problem. As the needle contacts an area of interest, you may experience the “twitch response” whereby your muscle contracts involuntarily, similar to a strong contraction performed during exercise.
After placing our needles, we typically attach electrical stimulation leads to the needle handles to introduce electrical current to your muscles. This produces a “pumping” effect, similar to active exercise, where the muscle contracts & relaxes repeatedly. Over the course of time, the muscle fatigues, allowing it to relax which results in reductions in pain. In addition, range of motion can be improved significantly with dry needling. We also utilize dry needling as a recovery protocol to help your muscles pump blood throughout your body, mimicking lower intensity cardiovascular exercise. Some professional athletes such as NFL players rely heavily on dry needling after games as part of their recovery protocol, with some individuals scheduling 8 hour long sessions to utilize needling with electrical stimulation to most of the major muscles of their body.
Whether you have active symptoms, muscular stiffness, or are just looking to recover after a hard bout of exercise, dry needling can significantly speed up your progress!
As with all of our plans of care, we’re dedicated to not just helping you reduce your pain, but improving your overall quality of life by also addressing lifestyle factors such as nutrition, sleep, and stress. By combining hands-on treatment with exercise and lifestyle modification, our goal is for you to leave physical therapy not only feeling better, but as a stronger, healthier person overall.
Do you want to learn more or get started with treatment?
Give us a call, text, or email today!
