Dry Needling: DN

Dry Needling DN

Dry Needling is one of the most common treatment techniques in orthopedic manual physical therapy. It is also known as trigger point dry needling for myofascial trigger point dry needling. Dry Needling is basically the use of short, thin, stainless steel needles to penetrate the affected tendon tissue, tight areas, or knots in the muscles. Without the need to inject any medication or fluid.

Which Ultrasound is best for Dry Needling?

Using an Ultrasound imaging with high frequency 7.5MHz is not only to visualize the trigger point, but it is also to increase the detectability of the puncture treatment through visual verification. The Linear Ultrasound Scanner L7-7.5/10MHz has become an indispensable tool that is highly recommended to our acupuncturists, chiropractors, and physical therapists clients.

The Linear Ultrasound Scanner L7-7.5/10MHz uses various techniques to eliminate the echoes arising from the main transmitted ultrasound scanner beam, from which conventional images are made. Once the fundamental frequencies are eliminated, only the harmonic frequencies are left for image formation.

Muscles sometimes develop knotted areas called trigger points. These trigger points are more highly sensitive and can be painful to touch. They often cause shunt pain ( or pain that affects the other side of the body). With the Ultrasound’s guide ,the practitioner pushes the thin, solid needles through the skin to the trigger points. As for the needle in this procedure, it is used to stimulate tissue, not to inject medicine.

Moreover, a patient may experience various sensations when pricking; muscle pain, soreness, and muscle contractions when inserting a needle are considered good signs. The needles can be placed deep or shallow for shorter or longer periods of time, depending on the type of pain being treated and how long it lasted. Shorter periods of time would mean that the needle would stay in the muscle for seconds, while longer periods of time could mean 10 to 15 minutes.

Dry needles are used to increase range of motion, which may be limited by muscle spasms or scar tissue. Yet, it may also treat: joint problems, disk problems, tendinitis, migraine and tension-type headaches, whiplash, spinal problems, pelvic problems, night cramps, etc…

Last but not least, The effectiveness of this treatment depends greatly on the skill of the therapist to accurately palpate myofascial trigger points as well as kinesthetic awareness of the anatomical structures.