Does Dry Needling Hurt More Than Acupuncture for Women?

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Both dry needling and acupuncture involves the penetration of skin by thin filiform needles for the purpose of therapeutic. The aim for both the treatments are to get you relieved from pain and to make your tissues soft but their practices are very different.

Dry needling is basically the insertion of the needle at the trigger points to untie the knots in the muscles, to relax the muscles and reduce the pain and tightness of the muscles. While Acupuncture is only used for the release of the chemical endorphins in the nervous system. Traditionally, in Chinese culture it is said to align the energy force of the body, also called chi.

Dry needling and acupunctures both does not hurt much, as they don’t have the needle as a tool their pain level is the same. When the needle is inserted on the body, you may feel a twitch poke or just a little pain. Maybe you will feel like itching afterwards. If someone has a skin ulcer, or health conditions or some disease already then these treatments can worsen the situation. So it is always better to first contact your doctor and then go for the treatment.

Acupuncture is being studied from many years and have a lot of research as well and is labelled as complementary treatment. While dry needling is a newer practice and there is less evidence of it and more research are being demanded. Dry needling is not regulated while strict guidelines are given for the acupuncture treatment.

Dry needling Vs Acupuncture

Both dry needling and acupuncture shares some similarities and both provides relief from therapeutic pain and this can be avoided by hiring a professional Mobile Therapist. Though both of them includes different methods and there should not be any confusion.

People have used acupuncture for centuries and there are evidences regarding it and it is very well regulated now and considered to complementary medicine. However, dry needling is established recently and thus have no official or authentic mechanism or guidelines.

Through acupuncture many of the conditions and diseases can be cured. As it is originated from China, so it has been said that when life force releases in the body, also known as chi, then all the diseases of the body gets cured.

While dry needling is used by the practitioners to reduce the pain in the muscles and to relax them. They believe that inserting the needle right at the middle of the trigger point releases the tension from the surrounding.

Dry Needling and the researches

There are a lot of researches done on dry needling, and they seem to be really effective and useful for myofascial trigger points, most importantly when it is ultrasound-guided. Four sessions of dry needling were given to people suffering from chronic neck pain and over a period of two weeks, they showed the reduction in pain intensity, perceived neck disability, sensitivity to pain, and increase muscle strength.

So much more studies and researches have shown that it is the most effective way to reduce chronic neck pain as it is a simple, noninvasive and a low-risk method. Though it should be done correctly and by someone who is professional and well trained in this. With these factors in mind, it is very disturbing that dry needling is yet not known so well by the world.

According to a triple board-certified physician, there is a recent study which demonstrates that putting dry needling in rehabilitation can greatly affect those who have had a stroke. As it varies their range of emotion and improves them.

Safety Measures

Is dry needling dangerous for you? Well, yeah it can be if you go to someone who is not well trained or is not a professional. If you are considering taking dry needling treatment then you should definitely know the risks of the treatments as well as the pros and cons regarding everything which can affect you. And most importantly find someone who is experienced and has a dry needling certification.

Dr. Kalika said, “There are case reports demonstrating complications such as spinal epidural hematoma, pneumothorax (punctured lung), deep infection, and radial nerve injury, among others.”

These are all aspects of dry needling. From its legitimation to its risks and safety. Though through this article, you must have ensured that dry needling is really effective and give wonders to your aching muscles. Go the healthy way, live your life peacefully.

The question which arises now is why is it controversial? Dry needling works in between the conventional and technical medical techniques so apart from money and safety measures going to someone who is not trained can be dangerous. Dr. Kalika in her article about dry needling controversy said; “I think there are two reasons, 1) We cannot yet find the exact mechanism of dry needling. 2) Dry needling is a time consuming and not an easily learned skill. There is a big resistance from the medical community because doctors and specialists look for quick, invasive and more profitable solutions. There is also pushback on this procedure because no medicine is injected during the procedure, so there is no push from the pharmaceutical industry either.”