Acupuncture & Dry Needling
What Is Acupuncture & Dry Needling?
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategic points on your body. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine and most commonly used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management. According to Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi (chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance. However, Western practice of acupuncture view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. The belief is that this stimulation boosts your body's natural painkillers.
What Is The Difference Between Acupuncture & Dry Needling?
Dry needling and acupuncture both involve the use of needles. However, there are a few differences in the application.
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Acupuncture
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Reduces pain by producing a neurophysiological and electrochemical reaction that causes muscle relaxation, chemical and hormonal changes to your nervous system.
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Often involves the use of several needles in multiple points of the involved area, or more than one area of the body.
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The needles can target nerves, trigger points and traditional Chinese medicine points.
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The needles are only inserted to a shallow depth making the treatment pain free in most applications.
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Treatments may last from 10-20 minutes.
Dry Needling
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Stimulates targeted muscles to “release and relax” as well as producing local inflammation, which helps to restart the body’s natural healing process.
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A single-needle technique that targets a trigger point or “knot” in a specific muscle.
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The needle is inserted more deeply and repeatedly into muscle tissue, therefore treatments can be uncomfortable.
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Treatments are usually a few minutes in duration and can easily be included in regular physiotherapy treatment sessions.
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What Conditions Can Benefit From Acupuncture And Dry Needling?
Acupuncture is used mainly to relieve discomfort associated with a variety of diseases and conditions, including:​
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Acute pain such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
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Chronic pain such as fibromyalgia
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Headaches, including tension headaches and migraines
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Lower back, neck and joint pain
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Osteoarthritis
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Degenerative tendon disease such as lateral epicondylalgia (tennis elbow)
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Inflammatory impairments such as bursitis, fasciitis
What Does Acupuncture & Dry Needling Feel Like?
Typically, acupuncture is generally painless or but may cause mild discomfort beyond the initial brief ‘pricking’ sensation. Some patients have reported less common sensations including a dull ache, pressure, tingling, numbness or heaviness. Dry Needling can produce moderate levels of discomfort with heavier sensations of pressure, cramping and local discomfort.
Is Acupuncture & Dry Needling Covered By Insurance Plans?
Sessions are covered if you have extended health insurance for physiotherapy since the treatment is provided by a registered Physiotherapist. If acupuncture or dry needling are appropriate for you, it will be included as part of your physiotherapy treatment sessions. We do not offer treatments that only involve acupuncture and dry needling alone.
