Dry Needling
Currently, the men’s World Cup is happening. One thing you might notice is that players come off the field hobbling, but then look fresh for the next game 2-3 days later. Gone are the days where athletes are given large amounts of corticosteroid injections for quick recovery. These types of fixes cause long-term damage and can end careers early. We all know pro athletes get the best care out there, so what the heck are they getting to decrease that recovery time…and is it out there for everyone else?
One powerful tool in the medical team toolkit is dry needling1,2. This is a safe and effective treatment when done by a skilled Physical Therapist that uses very thin needles at and around the area of injury to stimulate healing. The why is still unclear, but if you have muscles that are guarded or have those annoying knots in them, it seems to send a “snap out of it” message! Research also shows that it stimulates the body to send messages of healing to the location of pain.
Dry needling has been shown to be affective with recent (acute) injuries and injuries that have been lingering (chronic). It appears to be especially effective when combined with physical therapy.
So, if you just sprained your ankle in your last tennis match or you are still suffering a back injury from a golf game two years ago, dry needling may help speed up recovery and get you back to the activities that you love.
Also, consider some dry needling after the epic battle you are about to have with all of your holiday décor! Don’t spend the rest of the holiday season as a grinch because of an aching back from taking a 200 lb. Christmas tree out of the attic! Consider a few sessions of dry needling to spare your family all the Bah humbugs!
1. Gregory, T. J., Rauchwarter, S. A., & Feldman, M. D. (2022). Clinical Commentary: Rehabilitation Using Acute Dry Needling for Injured Athletes Returning to Sport and Improving Performance. Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation, 4(1), e209–e213. https jk://doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.035
2. McAphee, D., Bagwell, M., & Falsone, S. (2022). Dry Needling: A Clinical CommentaryD. International journal of sports physical therapy, 17(4), 551–555. https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.35693