Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, in Abilene, is pleased to offer a new service to its patients with Physical Therapist, Kyle Bowers. Kyle received his certification from the Dry Needling Institute of American Academy of Manipulative Therapy.
When one pictures dry needling procedures, it can look a lot like acupuncture with the use of thin needles inserted into the skin that are used to treat pain. Although both methods can do just that, the efforts to use these procedures are reaching different goals to bring relief. While acupuncture opens up one’s energy flow or chi to relieve discomfort, dry needling stimulates trigger points and reaches the irritation in one’s muscles.
Acupuncture is an Eastern Medicine approach that has been around for thousands of years, while dry needling is a newer approach in Western Medicine. Although the tools are very similar, therapists that use dry needling are most often using it within their treatment plan; incorporating it with other interventions to treat the patient.
In dry needling procedures, fine needles are inserted just into the skins surface. These particular needles do not inject any fluid into the body, thus the word dry. Dry needling procedures are often used by those who suffer from sports injuries, common muscle aches and pain, arthritis, or even fibromyalgia pain. By easing muscular pain and stiffness a person may regain their range of flexibility and motion.
Dry needling procedures are not usually painful. While the thought of several needles penetrating the skin may intimidate some people, the actual insertion of the tiny needles causes minimal discomfort. The patient can expect to feel a muscle twitch at times during the needle insertion, and if the patient feels any soreness at all, it will be in the following days, much like doing a strenuous work out. Depending on the condition a patient is being treated for, it might only require one or two treatments to take care of a problem area. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at (785) 263-6664. Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine is located on the main floor of Memorial Hospital.