Eliminate Back Pain with Dry Needling: Uncover the Surprising Benefits

What is Dry Needling and How Does it Work?

Physical therapists and other qualified healthcare professionals use the dry needling technique to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement problems. It almost always gets employed as a component of a larger pain management strategy that may include massage, exercise, and other methods. Healthcare professionals will use tiny, pointed needles to treat myofascial trigger points underneath your skin during this procedure[1]. Your muscles can develop knotted sore spots called trigger points. Touching these trigger points may cause pain due to their high sensitivity.

Your trigger points are treated with needles by physical therapists. Your muscles and tissues may experience less tightness, more blood flow, and less localized and referred pain after receiving dry needling treatment. The needles used by the providers are solid and free of any medication. The method gets referred to as “dry” because your body receives no injections.

How Does It Work?

Your muscle enters an energy crisis when it gets overworked, which results in insufficient blood flow to the muscle fibers. Your muscles can’t return to their normal resting state if they don’t receive the standard blood supply, oxygen, and nutrients. The tissue close to your trigger point becomes more acidic as a result. Because of the sensitization of your nerves, the area is achy and painful.

One can stimulate the trigger point with a needle to encourage the return of normal blood flow, which helps to clear the area and ease tension. Your therapist will place a needle through your skin and directly into a trigger point once they have found it. They may slightly adjust the needle in an effort to trigger a muscle spasm known as a local twitch response [1]. This response may indicate that your muscle is responding. After a dry needling session, some people experience an almost immediate improvement in their pain and mobility. Some people require more than one session.

Dry Needling for Back Pain

Around the world, low back pain has been a significant public health issue that places a heavy burden on the medical system. There have been many different approaches investigated to treat lower back pain. Considering the potential side effects of medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids in their management, pharmacological treatment, which is still a standard therapy for lower back pain, is still insufficient. Clinicians are looking for effective non-drug treatments [2].

Medical professionals across the globe are increasingly interested in dry needling, a relatively new treatment method frequently used to treat musculoskeletal pain (including lower back pain). It entails a minimally invasive procedure [2] in which myofascial trigger points get treated directly with an acupuncture needle (MTrPs).

Benefits of Dry Needling for Back Pain

In dry needling, a similar acupuncture needle is inserted into the trigger point to relax muscles, increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and start the healing process. Additionally, this procedure enhances nerve conduction and triggers the release of your body’s natural painkillers.

These are the following advantages [3] for back pain by performing dry needling:

1. Get fast pain relief

Most people relate trigger points to tense shoulders, upper backs, and neck muscles. However, the same issue can occur anywhere on your body and gets linked to several ailments, including neck and low back pain, joint pain, and overuse injuries.
If you have lower back pain, it gets better as the knot loosens and blood flow increases. When the blood circulation improves, the uncomfortable, acidic wastes get removed, and your muscles get provided with the oxygen and nutrients they require to heal. After one dry needling session, many patients notice an immediate decrease in localized and generalized pain. Others might require multiple sessions to experience the most pain relief. The severity and quantity of your trigger points will determine your treatment strategy.

2. Regain your motion range

Few things make you immobile more than tense, painful muscles. If you have several trigger points, your mobility may be very restricted. Additionally, your muscles deteriorate and lose mass when you aren’t active. For healthcare professionals to rebuild your strength and completely restore your range of motion, they combine dry needling with a physical therapy regimen. Your muscles get retrained during physical therapy, which aids in preventing further trigger points.

3. Accelerate your recovery

Moving your body is the best way to encourage healing and hasten the recovery of your back, regardless of whether you were injured or underwent surgery. The main form of treatment for you during your recovery is physical therapy. The process is accelerated by adding dry needling to physical therapy, though.

4. Improve chronic pain conditions

Myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia are two chronic pain conditions that can benefit from dry needling greatly. Trigger points form in the fascia, a layer of connective tissue that covers and supports all your muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs, leading to myofascial pain syndrome. Physical therapy and dry needling are two of the most effective treatments for this chronic pain condition.

Your muscles become sore and tender all over due to fibromyalgia. You move differently because of the pain, which creates trigger points. Patients with fibromyalgia receiving dry needling treatment notice a sizable reduction in their overall pain.

Is Dry Needling Safe?

Dry needling is a safe, barely uncomfortable, and frequently effective technique [4] for patients with specific musculoskeletal presentations, despite the intimidating name of the procedure. The dry needling procedure gets carried out by physical therapists who have undergone specialized instruction and obtained certification for performing dry needling. If they need to treat underlying muscular trigger points, neuro-musculoskeletal pain, and movement problems – a thin monofilament needle gets inserted through the skin.

It’s crucial to understand that dry needling differs from acupuncture. The only similarity is that it makes use of similar tools. Different practitioners with various levels of training use dry needling. The effects of dry needling on muscle tissue include pain relief, trigger point deactivation, and function restoration.

Who Should Avoid Dry Needling?

Some individuals shouldn’t get dry needling [1]. Because it can be painful, doctors advise against having the procedure done on children under the age of 12. Both you and your child will need to consent, so think about less intrusive alternatives first. People who need to speak with their doctor before receiving dry needling, among other groups, are the ones who:

• Are pregnant.
• Are unable to comprehend the course of treatment.
• Have a severe fear of needles (trypanophobia).
• Possess weakened immune systems.
• Have recently had surgery.
• Are taking blood thinners.

How Long Does the Relief from Dry Needling Last?

The effects of dry needling typically last several days after initial treatment. However, because of continued muscle relaxation and a return to normal muscle function, patients can anticipate the effects to last longer every time they receive additional treatments.
The above timeframes are an average representation of patients who have taken the dry needling treatment. But it is essential to remember that each person’s results will vary depending on their unique situation, level of health, and severity of the condition.

The Bottom Line

For people with specific musculoskeletal conditions like lower back pain, dry needling is a technique that is secure, barely uncomfortable, and frequently very effective. The therapy has changed the game for many patients to help them raise their quality of life. However, be sure to consult with your doctor before beginning the procedure. It is invasive even though it gets regarded as safe. More conservative treatments might be suggested by your doctor first.

Experience Dry Needling Benefits at City Doctor

At City Doctor in Dubai, the physiotherapy and chiropractic teams treat multiple conditions using several methods and tools. We carefully assess your problem to ensure you receive what your body requires. Many people undergo routine physiotherapy or chiropractic appointments due to the numerous advantages of dry needling in treating lower back pain and regaining a patient’s mobility.

You can immediately schedule a session with City Doctor. Share your condition’s diagnosis with us if you already have one, or we can perform a detailed evaluation visit. The most appropriate chiropractic or physical therapy treatment will then be administered at your home by one of our skilled and certified medical professionals. Our team is available 24×7 and 365 days a year across Dubai and the UAE. You can call us at 800 5060 or drop a text on WhatsApp at +971 54 5060 704.