She Blinded Me With Science

Could There Really Be A Therapeutic Effect?

So, your friend told you to try dry needling for your shoulder pain. Now what? Search Google for dry needling to see what it is and how it might help. Here is a brief synopsis of what might be taking place when a thin needle is inserted into muscles and tendons. If you checked out of high school science and are currently being guided by your emotions, you can skip this. You can check out my earlier blogs about dry needling: What’s the Point and Should I Stay or Should I Go Now.

The goal of incorporating dry needling into the therapeutic plan is to desensitize supersensitive structures (trigger points), calm the nervous system, improve/restore range of motion and function, and possibly create a healing response in tissues such as muscle, tendon, and nerve. My brain certainly does not hold onto the names of chemicals, nerve and muscle fibers, pathways, or chemistry so these are basic summaries of what I’ve learned in the past. If you seek more thorough microscopic descriptions I can likely (possibly) point you in the direction of sources or links.

There is still uncertainty about the actual mechanisms of healing, but these are the theories:

1. Chemical Effects: Normalizing the chemical components (bradykinin, CGRP, Substance P) of painful trigger points. Needle insertion will cause micro-trauma, micro-bleeding which encourages platelet-derived growth factor into the local tissues, causing an inflammatory and healing response.

2. Mechanical Effects: Trigger point dry needling may mechanically disrupt the dysfunctional chemical synapses at the motor end plate. This may be attributable to needle techniques such as spinning or pistoning which often cause LTRs (Local Twitch Responses) which in return may improve muscle fiber length or inhibit antagonistic muscles.

3. Neurophysiological Effects: Some hypotheses suggest dry needling may cause ascending and descending nerve conduction pathway changes at the spinal cord level that lead to decreased pain.

4. Electrophysiological Effects: There is also the possibility that eliciting a local twitch response may use excessive acetylcholine (ACh) that was causing spontaneous electrical activity (SEA) in the pain region. The metal needle may have an influence on decreasing SEA.

So, whatever is happening with needle insertion, it seems to offer benefits. I have been a proponent, clinician, and client of dry needling services for the past 10+ years. It is the one tool that I have used in my 22+ year physical therapy career that consistently offers clients at least a fairly rapid change in their symptoms. Honestly, when I get injured or have pain that I can’t shake, it is the help of a dry needling provider that I seek first and foremost. ***This is my personal experience, preference, and knowledge base. This is not a substitute for you seeking your own medical advice.

If you are interested in reading about who should and should not try needling due to absolute contraindications, and relative contraindications please read the blog here.

___________________________________________________________________________

Dry Needling For You, St. Pete!

Provider: Julie Schumann, PT

Location: Valverde Chiropractic, 5203 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Fl  33710

Limited appointment times: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday

Email for an appointment or to discuss whether this type of treatment might help.

Website: www.dryneedlingforyou.com