What is the Difference Between Dry Needling and Acupuncture For Pain?
This is a common query that is generally raised in medical practice and outside of the clinic. There are some similarities and some variations between dry needling and acupuncture for pain.
Both dry needling and acupuncture are effective for pain, but their actions on the body are quite different. Dry needling – sometimes known as Intramuscular Stimulation can relax tight or hypertonic muscles by direct stimulation. This can help in the area of myofascial pain.
Acupuncture for pain uses the same type of needles, but concentrates more on the energy levels of the body. It allows the release of endorphins which act as pain relievers and also have an anti inflammatory effect. Acupuncture, therefor is more useful for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Dry needling
This utilizes fine needles that are put into the skin, fascia (tissue that surrounds the muscles and separates muscle compartments), deep muscles, tendons, and occasionally the joints and bones1.
When your practitioner inserts the needle, a twitch may be observed, or a feeling sensed in that distinct area which may radiate to a different place (but do not fear, this is not hazardous – it is part of the solution!). The length of time the needles are left in may differ from individual to individual depending on how quickly the client’s body responds. The period is also based on the one examining the treated area of muscle and looking at its tone.
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The primary aim of dry needling is to relax the muscle from increased tone, which is often the most} typical complaint observed in the clinic.
Acupuncture
This also uses fine needles that are put into the skin, but they are put into specific meridians (channels). A part of Chinese traditional ancient medicine, these channels are thought to relate to certain organs in the body. Needles are put to around 1mm deep, which is not too deep, unlike dry needling. Typically customers may feel a feeling as the needle passes through the skin, but this is usually no more than a small sting1.
The major aim is to encourage the flow of chi (power) around the body. It is considered by the Chinese tradition that blockage of the chi pathways can provoke discomfort and problems1.
The main reason why you feel the sting
A specialist will look for the area in the muscle that is agonizing (typically caused by a myofascial trigger point – a stressed muscle which forms a knot, that in turn causes discomfort). In the muscles, there are particular receptors named nociceptors (no-c-cep-tors). There are various kinds of these nociceptors and the one which is connected with this particular pain is the polymodal sort. These kinds of receptor become turned on once the needle enters that specific painful spot on the muscle and sensitises it2.
What does it do to the muscle?
When these polymodal-type receptors get turned on with the application of an acupuncture/dry needle, the receptors should get turned on, so brief discomfort may be sensed in the area. Nevertheless, by inserting these needles into myofascial trigger points or tender areas of a muscle, pain increase can cause the person increasing their pain threshold, resulting in a decrease in discomfort. The muscle alone will reduce in tone as a result2.
What is a myofascial trigger point?
Myofascial trigger points/myofascial discomfort is a common trigger of musculoskeletal pain and research leads to a hypersensitive area in the tissue3.
A myofascial trigger point is described as a hyperirritable, localised, palpable nodule which rests on a taught band of muscle. The literature suggests that dry needling can minimize short-term discomfort sensitivity3.
Overall, the major effect of acupuncture or dry needle therapy is to lower the resting tone of the muscle, to relax it, and increase your pain threshold so to lessen the pain sensed. It is an efficient solution for myofascial trigger points or general musculoskeletal discomfort. It assists in the decrease of hard symptoms. It can also aid osteopathic and/or other manual treatments and, with an additional exercise prescription set by your specialist, improve to get you prepared to challenge the world again!
References
1. Swan, J. (2011) The Difference Between Acupuncture and Dry Needling, Wakefield Sports Clinic, p. 1.
2. Itoh, K., Minakawa, Y., Kitakoji, H. (2011) Effect of Acupuncture Depth on Muscle Pain, Chinese Medicine, vol. 6, no. 24, pp. 1–5.
3. Srbely, J.Z., Dickey, J.P., et al. (2010) Dry Needle Stimulation of Myofascial Trigger Point Evoke Segmental Anti-nociceptive Effects, Journal of rehabilitation Medicine, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 463–468.
4. http://www.lifestorytherapeuticcentre.com/services/treatment/acupuncture.aspx Accessed 23 October 2011.
Acupuncture is a dangerous kind of thinking. If you can believe something because the evidence supports it, but also believe something because “false evidence” is being put out by a conspiracy of science… then you’ll always believe it. It’s a self-deluding process. Is there some specific scientific evidence that you WOULD accept that acupuncture works primarily by a psychological mechanism? Such as not inserting the needles, inserting them wrong?
Cheers-
Rachel from
ADULT DIAPERS