Dry Needling Therapy Wynnum
Dry needling (also known as Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy) is the western form of acupuncture where a sterile filament needle is inserted into a trigger point often called a muscular knot. Our podiatrist uses a variety of techniques to find your trigger points and areas of discomfort, especially parts that are agitated, inflamed or feel like little lumps of muscles.
At Mint Foot Care, we’ll insert a very fine, sterile single-use solid filament needle to cause a small, precise injury or “lesion” in the tissue when it enters the body. The tiny needle produces injury signals the brain uses to stimulate a sequence of events to replace or repair the damaged tissue with new, healthy tissue.
Needling in a painful ‘trigger point’ or muscular knot often provokes a “twitch” response from the muscle that may feel painful or feel like a cramp for a few seconds. Once the “twitch” response has been elicited, the muscle fibres in the treated area will relax, and any inflammation and pain will reduce. Dry needling can also be used to help improve the range of motion in your affected joints and increase blood circulation.
Suitable for Different Injuries
At Mint Foot Care in Wynnum, we use dry needle therapy in conjunction with our orthotic therapy or as part of an overall treatment plan. It is particularly helpful for the treatment of:
- Achilles Tendinitis
- Ankle, Arch, Heel and Knee Pain
- Buttock and leg pain (including sciatic pain)
- Calf tightness or cramps
- Hamstring strains
- Joint flexibility and range of motion issues
- Muscle imbalances and tightness.
- Muscle strains
- Pain Relief
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splints
- Sprains
Benefits of Dry Needling
Dry needling is a safe and effective way for providing comfort and relief to tired, injured or overworked muscles. It is commonly used to:
- Improve range of motion in joints
- Increase blood circulation
- Reduce muscle tightness.
- Relax tight muscles
- Relieve of muscle pain and soreness
- Stimulate healing
Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture
Although dry needling and acupuncture both use fine needles for their treatments, they differ in their underlying philosophies. Their main difference lies in where the needles are placed and the reasons behind them.
Dry needling is based on Western medicine and grounded on the physiological and neurophysiological aspects of the body. It targets muscular knots to stimulate healing, improve recovery and relax overused muscles. Acupuncture, on the other hand, is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and primarily focuses on correcting imbalances in your body’s energy flows through the strategic placement of fine needles.
Despite these differences, dry needling and acupuncture are both commonly used for pain relief, injury management and the treatment of chronic conditions.
At Mint Foot Care, we provide professional dry needling procedures that can help treat a variety of foot and lower limb issues, provide muscle relief and stimulate healing for injuries.
FAQS
Is dry needling safe?
Yes, our dry needling in Wynnum is a safe procedure that uses fine and sterile, single use filament needles to stimulate recovery in your body. Our podiatrists are also trained in dry needling procedures, ensuring the safe and proper application of dry needling techniques.
Does it hurt?
Because dry needling treats trigger points also known as muscle knots, it can be uncomfortable for some patients. Keep in mind that any pain or discomfort will likely not be caused by the needle piercing your skin. In fact, most people don’t even feel the needle piercing their skin because of the very fine widths of the needles. Instead, any pain or discomfort will likely be caused by the twitch response of your trigger point. However, these twitch responses should only last for a few seconds in most cases.
How Often Will I Require Treatment?
We recommend one weekly visit over three consecutive weeks. As you recover, follow up treatments may only be required every few weeks, and then as little as once a month.
Is dry needling for everyone?
Although dry needling is a viable treatment option for many feet and lower limb issues, it is not always suitable for everyone. Contraindications are:
- Abnormal bleeding tendency
- Allergic to metal-nickel and chromium
- Compromised immune system
- Epilepsy
- Limb with lymphedema
- Needle phobia
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Pregnancy
- Skin infection
Are there any side effects?
Some patients might experience some tiredness, bruising and soreness in the treated areas, although this soreness typically lasts for a few hours or a few days at most.
Dry Needling from Trained Professionals
To benefit from dry needling, call us on 1300 975 980 to find out more about our Wynnum dry needling treatments. We can determine your suitability for dry needle therapy and apply the most appropriate dry needling techniques to help relieve muscle pain or stimulate its recovery. Our podiatrists have completed post graduate certification in dry needling techniques, providing you with different options for treating your affected muscles with this procedure.
