Functional Dry Needling
Dry needling is a general term for a therapeutic treatment procedure that involves inserting filament needles into a muscle and its surrounding fascia. There is no injectable solution and the needle used is very thin.
DN is not acupuncture. Whereas acupuncture uses meridian theory and tongue/pulse readings for assessment and diagnosis, DN is orthopedically based. I use movement assessment, orthopedic evaluation, and palpation to find restrictions in range of motion and faulty movement patterns to determine where I insert the needle.
If a muscle has shortened or has active trigger points within it, one of the goals of this therapy is to elicit a “twitch response” when inserting the needle, as this almost immediately opens up ranges of motion, helps clean up movement patterns, and sets in motion chemical physiologic responses which lower pain levels.
Just like other tools and treatment strategies I use, it is not the “magic pill”, but another effective strategy that when used in the correct context can make profound changes.
