By
in
on 20/09/2023 While many of us have had, or at least heard of, acupuncture, we are likely far less familiar with dry needling. Like acupuncture, the practice involves the insertion of needles into different points in the body. The aim is to restore good energy flow and thus, good health.
As a form of physiotherapy, dry needling has a myriad of benefits. It’s a great way to put our bodies back into the swing of things and feel great again.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling, also known as Trigger Point Therapy, uses needles to stimulate change in the neural, fascial, and muscular systems to resolve any issues with muscle movement, pain, spasms, and overall performance. Thusly, providing relief for a variety of conditions.
Pointing out the differences
While acupuncture originates from Eastern medicine, dry needling is based on Western medicine. Acupuncture needles may be inserted and left for long periods of time and work to unblock energy meridians. Unlike acupuncture, dry needling is based on Western medicine. In dry needling, the needles are slowly inserted into the target areas and are removed after the muscle knot is massaged. This trigger point therapy releases tension and inflammation!
While both practices use the same type of needle, they’re very different. A simple way to think about it is like this:
- Acupuncture = diagnosis and treatment of pathological conditions
- Dry Needling = assessment and treatment of myofascial pain
Basically, pathological means the science behind diseases. So, in this case, acupuncture gets to the root of an internal issue and treats it. In contrast, myofascial refers to muscle pain.
Don’t prick me!
So yes, both practices can seem daunting, especially because of the needles. But fear not! They are safe, holistic and natural.
All acupuncturists in Australia are registered by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia and have a tertiary qualification. Meanwhile, dry needling is beneficial when administered by experienced professionals including:
To give either practice (or both!) a go, visit Avaana today!
