Dry Needling
Dry Needling is a modern treatment that has been designed to target pain relief specifically muscular pain. During the treatment, tiny filiform needles are inserted into the skin. These needles are fine, stainless steel needles that don’t inject anything into the body. Hence, the name dry needling.
The idea of pain relief comes from inserting these needles into ‘trigger points’ in the muscle and tissue. The insertion of the needle is aimed to release the tightness in the muscles and relieve any pain of spasming.
Dry Needling Techniques
There are 2 main techniques used when dry needling, they are:
- In-and-out technique
- Non trigger point technique
The in-and-out technique focuses on just that, the needle going in and out of the skin. Through this method, the needle pricks the trigger point and then it is removed.
While the non trigger point technique is more broadly focused. This method does not just solely focus on the areas of concern. The needles are inserted in and around the areas of pain. This technique is based on the idea conveyed in this article by Eric L. Garland that the central nervous system mediates the pain felt in our bodies and sometimes the pain is presenting but has deeper underlying issues.
TMJ & Dry Needling
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a disorder where the joint in the skull that controls the opening and closing of the mouth begins to cause a person a range of problems. These problems can be:
- Clicking
- Locking
- Headaches
- Neck Pain
- Difficulty eating
Dry Needling has proven to be an effective treatment for TMJ. When using the combined treatment of dry needling, stretching and massage, patients often see effective results.
The team at Coastal Physiotherapy and Family Field Chiropractic are both teams that are passionate about TMJ relief. They offer some great advice on stretches that can aid in reliving TMJ pain and discomfort. Watch their instructional video here and here.
Contact Us
At Magic Massage, we offer massage therapy & dry needling solutions for those who suffer from general pain or TMJ.
Contact David and the team at Magic Massage today to incorporate massage into your personalised migraine management plan or, alternatively, book your massage today!