Dry Needle Therapy (intramuscular stimulation) is a non-surgical and drug-free pain treatment method developed by Canadian Dr. Gunn. It is applied for the treatment of painful muscle spasms. Dissolving the spasms with the insertion of very thin needles with different lengths into spasm muscles is the basis of dry needle treatment. No medication is used during application.
How is it administered?
The spasm is tried to dissolve by inserting the needle into the contracted and shortened muscle. Since a muscle usually has a large number of painful contracted and shortened muscle bundles, needling is required in many places. If there is fibrous tissue with spasm in recurrent or chronic pain, the number of needles and needling frequency should be increased. Since the needles used do not contain any drugs or solutions, the method is called dry needle treatment. Since the drug is not used in the treatment, allergy, drug interaction and drug-induced side effects are not seen.
Dry needle therapy is an effective method for relieving pain due to muscle spasm. Muscle spasm is the most important cause of back and neck pain. The spasm presses the discs between the vertebrae and causes hernia, calcification and pain. Pain may also be accompanied by coldness in the arms and legs, numbness, chills and edema.
Dry Needle Therapy can be applied alone or in combination with other treatments. Dry needle therapy is planned in sessions after the patient is examined and diagnosed by tomography and MRI. Dry needling is applied at least 3 sessions with an average of one-week intervals. Treatment may take up to 8-10 sessions depending on recovery.
Which diseases is dry needle therapy effective?
- Headaches
- Neck pains
- Back pains
- Frozen shoulder and other shoulder pains
- Low back pains
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- Painful muscle spasms
- Repetitive strain injuries (Pains related to computer use)
- Pains related to posture disorders
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial pain syndrome
- Tendinitis
- Knee pains
- Hip pains (adductor spasm, capsulitis)
- Heel pains
- Sciatica
- Sport injuries and its rehabilitation
- Jaw bone pain
- Whiplash injuries (Post traumatic spinal cord pains)
Does it have side effects?
Dry needle therapy has no side effects. Therefore, it is an extremely reliable treatment method.
Advantages
The pain is generally seen on the head, neck, arm, shoulder, back, waist, hips and legs. When the painful areas are examined, it is seen that the muscles are shortened. Therefore, deformities occur in the joint directed by that muscle. The joint was stretched, pressure was applied on the nerve, and therefore pain began. In the dry needle therapy, the shortened muscle causing pain is inserted with a very thin needle and the muscle is stimulated. This not only relieves pain, but also treats the underlying disorder that causes the pain. After regular practice, the person who lives with constant pain returns to life. Even dry jaw or headache patients are treated with dry needles because no metals or needles are left in the body. Most importantly, no medication is used.