Dry Needling

Pain Relief Through Dry Needling

Sometimes you have a chronic pain issue that won't resolve through traditional therapies, but you don't want to keep trying endless medications in search of relief. A pain relief therapy known as dry needling trigger point therapy is gaining popularity as it provides drug-free pain relief. At Whiplash Pain Center in Charleston, SC, our chiropractors Dr. Shariff and Dr. Page are trained in the application of dry needles.

What is Dry Needling?

At first glance, dry needling looks like acupuncture with its use of thin needles. Dry needle therapy does use thin needles, but that's where its similarity to acupuncture ends. The technique gets its name because a needle is inserted into the skin and muscle without being medicated in any way. The needle is inserted directly into a pain or trigger point as opposed to a specific placement pattern around the body.

​​​​​​​How Dry Needle Therapy Works

Muscles can become strained through overuse and knot up in response. The knots are known as myofascial trigger points which are hyperirritable spots in the muscle. You might be able to feel a knot by probing a sore muscle. A muscle knots up and stays that way because it's not receiving enough blood supply containing the necessary nutrients that help it heal. The surrounding tissues and nerves become irritated in response to the lack of healing and send out pain signals to tell you something's wrong.

Inserting a needle into the trigger point brings blood flow back to the area and gets the body to bring the nutrients needed to heal the affected area. It's a simple stimulation technique that kickstarts the brain into delivering endorphins for pain relief as well as routing the nutrients the body needs to heal the damaged muscle. Sometimes the body reacts so fast that patients report feeling near-immediate pain relief after the needle has been inserted.

Dry Needling as Part of an Overall Therapy Plan

Dry needling is a technique that works well with other therapies that include chiropractic techniques, massage, and stretching. The concept behind the use of dry needling is to release areas of muscle tension. Combining dry needling with complementary therapies can go a long way towards finding long-term pain relief from a chronic condition or an issue with mobility.

Call Us Today to Talk About Dry Needle Therapy

At Whiplash Pain Center in Charleston, SC, we are ready to help you connect with our chiropractor about your health issues. Both Dr. Shariff and Dr. Page are here to talk to you about your problems and find solutions that will provide pain relief. Call us today at (843) 350-5022​​​​​​​ to schedule an appointment.