Acupuncture Vs Dry Needling. What’s The Difference?

Health House Clinics- Dry Needling
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Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Acupuncture and Dry Needling? Have you even though if there IS a difference at all? If you have, read on to find out what the differences are.

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Acupuncture & Dry Needling

Many clients enquire about and refer to our services as ‘acupuncture’. However, here at HealthHouse, our osteopaths and chiropractors are trained in Dry Needling.
So if you find yourself unsure about the difference between acupuncture and dry needling, here is a quick explanation to help you make an informed decision before choosing a treatment option.

Before we get to the differences, lets go over what similarities there are. The ONLY similarity between the two techniques is that we use the same needle. The needle that we do use is very thin (0.30mm thin) that you don’t even feel piercing the skin, however it is the way we use the needle that differs from the 2 disciplines.

Size of Acupuncture Dry Needle
Courtesy of China Books
Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is an ancient technique and part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM is based on ancient beliefs that a balance between yin and yang, plus flow of Qi energy and the five elements are essential to full health. Acupuncture aims to release energy lines, which contain the Qi as a means to restore health and treat a variety of health issues. Some acupuncturists claim to help digestive issues, respiratory disorders, and other organ dysfunctions as well as general aches and pains. During an acupuncture treatment, acupuncture needles are inserted into the skin along blocked meridians into specific points.

Dry Needling

At Health House our practitioners are trained in Trigger Point Dry Needling (TPDN). We specifically and accurately target muscular ‘trigger points’. These are are essentially ‘knots’ or tight fibres in your muscles that may give you pain and dysfunction to an area of your body. The needle is inserted into the trigger point by your practitioner who then manipulates the needle for usually around 3-5 seconds to cause a local twitch response (gemtinfo.com.au) – these are the little twitches/spasms that you’ll feel as a patient during treatment. The needle is then immediately removed and we move on to the next trigger point.

Osteopathic FAQ’s

How does dry needling work?

Trigger points in muscles have a different chemical balance to the rest of the muscle, which can cause pain and irritation (gemtinfo.com.au). There is also evidence to suggest a higher electrical activity in trigger points, which causes muscle tightness (gemtinfo.com.au). By inserting needles into trigger points, muscles have shown to relax and normalise in electrical activity and chemical balance (gemtinfo.com.au).

Our Chiropractors Treat

So what’s in it for me?

Dry needling is very specific and quick at releasing a trigger point, which can be causing you pain, tightness, or dysfunction in a joint. With a very thin needle we can release deeper muscle tissue that is difficult to release with other soft tissue therapies. With dry needling we can achieve quicker and effective results to help restore joint mobility and relieve muscle tightness. If you are experiencing tight muscles and difficulties stretching, restricted joints and muscle soreness, dry needling might be a solution!

To find out more, contact us on (02) 95248862 or email us at info@healthhouseclinics.com.au

Dr Luke Dry Needle Thoracic Spine    

(nccih.nih.gov)

(gemtinfo.com.au)

(medicalacupuncture.org)

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