Dry Needling In Bellevue TN

WHAT IS DRY NEEDLING in Bellevue TN?

Dry needling is a specific treatment technique used by Harpeth Valley Health Center in Bellevue TN that uses a solid filament needle to treat muscle trigger points that are creating pain and discomfort. A muscle trigger point is a highly localized, hyper-irritable spot in a palpable, taut band of skeletal muscle fibers. These muscle trigger points, which are located throughout the human body, play a role in producing and sustaining feelings of pain and discomfort. Trigger points develop in muscle for various reasons including referred or local pain, inflammation, tissue injury, or other causes. Studies from the United States have shown that trigger points were the primary source of pain in as many as 85% of pain-related appointments with a primary care doctor.

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DRY NEEDLING VS. ACUPUNCTURE

While Dry Needling uses the same tool as acupuncture, it is with a different theoretical purpose. Dry Needling is based on traditional, studied, and tested practices of Western Medicine to restore normal muscle function. Traditional acupuncture is based on normalizing the energy imbalance, or Chi, in the body to cure syndromes.

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WHAT CONDITIONS CAN BE TREATED?

Examples of conditions that can be treated successfully with dry needling include:

• Back and neck pain, including postural problems and tension
• Arm pain (shoulder impingements, tennis or golfer’s elbow)
• Headaches
• Leg pain (including sciatic pain)
• Hamstring strains
• Knee pain
• Calf tightness or cramps

This treatment allows…

• Muscle contracture to release
• Improved circulation
• Reduced swelling
• Dispersal of chemical buildup

Is dry needling safe?

• The treatment utilizes sterile, thin monofilament needles. The relief is often rapid with a reduction in pain and improved function.

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DOES DRY NEEDLING HURT?

Typically, patients will feel some level of discomfort, but it is short-lived. The initial insertion of the needle does not usually cause any discomfort. The local twitch response can cause a brief painful reaction. It is important to remember that the therapeutic effect only occurs by eliciting the twitch response. Therefore, it is a desirable reaction. Most patients describe the treatment as feeling uncomfortable, but not painful.

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WHAT CAN I DO AFTER TREATMENT?

You may be advised to use heat or ice over the area to help alleviate post-treatment soreness, and temporarily modify your exercises or activities for 1 or 2 days afterward.

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HOW WILL I FEEL AFTER HAVING TREATMENT?

There may be some soreness immediately after treatment in the area of the body that was Dry Needled. This is normal, although does not always occur. Occasionally, soreness develops a few hours later, or even the next day. The soreness may vary depending on the area of the body that was treated, and also varies person-to-person, but typically it feels like you have had an intense workout at the gym. Occasionally patients will experience some bruising with this soreness. This is a normal response that only lasts an hour or two after treatment.