When exercising we often experience pain in the part that is trained or burdened. The pain arises due to lack of heating or excessive load. Muscles can become strained or torn. It is at this time that Dry Needling therapy can be an option to relieve pain and increase the range of motion of the joints.
What is Dry Needling Therapy?
Dry needling is a therapy by inserting filiform needles into the skin or muscle. Filiform needles are fine, short stainless steel needles that do not introduce fluids into the body. That is the reason why the term dry or dry is used. Dry Needling can stimulate or stimulate the healing process of soft tissues (muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, etc.).
Dry Needling stimulates the underlying myofascial trigger points of muscles and connective tissue ( myofascial trigger points ) for the management of pain and neuromusculoskeletal (nerves, muscles and bones) movement disorders. The result is reduced/absent pain and increased joint range of motion.
Trigger points are sensitive hyperirritable points in a tense muscle or fascia. This point may form a lump that is palpable when pressed. The point is very painful and pain can radiate to the surrounding area. Dry Needling can help relax tense muscles so that the palpable lump disappears and can reduce pain in the muscles.
Healthy muscles feel a little uncomfortable with the needle being pricked, but muscles that are sensitive and shortened or have trigger points in them will feel a sensation like muscle cramps. This puncture can cause a twitch if it hits the trigger point . Most patients feel that Dry Needling therapy is not as painful as previously imagined.
Therapy based on this physiological system is quite simple in the process, but it still has to be done by a certified doctor. Because the doctor must find the trigger point for each muscle according to the patient's complaints and the results of the examination. Then the muscle area is cleaned with alcohol to make it sterile. After that the needle will be inserted into the muscle that has a trigger point . The patient will feel LTR ( local twitch response ) or muscle dancing in the affected trigger point area. At the time of therapy the patient must be calm and relaxed because the emergence of muscle dancing is unpredictable. When this happens, the patient should be relaxed and not try to pull on the part of the muscle being treated.
The Dry Needling therapy service, which is available at EMC Sentul Hospital, can be performed within 5 to 7 days of therapy. Maximum results can be felt after 2 to 3 therapy sessions.
Dry needling is different from acupuncture.
While acupuncture is based on theories from traditional Chinese medicine, dry needling is based on modern scientific studies of Western neuroanatomy and the nervous, muscular and skeletal systems. However, dry needling and acupuncture both use the same tool, namely a filiform needle.
Dry Needling can treat a variety of pain, but can also be used for acute or chronic injuries, headaches, neck or back pain, tendinitis, muscle spasms, hip or knee pain, torn muscles (strains), fibromyalgia and tennis/golfer elbow.
The side effects of dry needling can vary, but what often happens is mild muscle pain or muscle bruising.
Article written by dr. Anita Suryani, Sp.KO (Specialist in Sports Medicine at EMC Sentul Hospital).