What is Dry Needling Physical Therapy?

Whether you are a Miami resident year-round or perhaps a part-time one, you know how beautiful this area of Florida is. When you are driving around, there is much fun to be had, but this fun can be brought to a screeching halt if you are in an automobile or motorcycle accident. When an event such as this happens, it can change your quality of life in the blink of an eye and leave you with medical bills and injuries that cause great suffering.

If you are left with lingering injuries after such an accident, there is good news. Here in Miami, there is an Impact Medical team ready and waiting to help you recover with our multifaceted team approach to accident treatment. Our staff is composed of incredibly gifted and caring physicians, physical therapists, manual therapists, imaging specialists, and chiropractors who all work together to create treatment plans individualized for each patient.

Oftentimes, car or bike accidents can cause chronic pain that impacts your ability to perform activities of daily living. There are many treatments that we can offer you to reduce or eliminate your pain, but today we would like to talk about one you may not have heard of…dry needling.

Now, you may be wondering what dry needling is, and we are here to tell you. Dry needling is a technique that is performed by highly trained physical therapists where thin monofilament needles are inserted into muscle trigger points to reduce and relieve pain. It is typically part of a holistic treatment plan like those designed by our staff at Impact Medical in Miami. We do understand that some people get squeamish at the thought needles, but we can assure you that your confidence and comfort are one of our top priorities.

When our PTs place these needles into predetermined trigger points (places where there is a contracted band of muscle or tissue), it helps these painful areas of tension to release, thus increasing function, blood flow, and range of motion and reducing discomfort.  

We do want to mention that while dry needling sounds like acupuncture, it is quite different. While both treatment modalities use needles, those who practice acupuncture receive very different training than physical therapists who perform dry needling. Acupuncture comes from the tradition of Eastern medicine whereas dry needling is rooted in Western medicine and takes into account movement impairments, function, body posture, and other orthopedic test results.

When your musculature is functioning correctly and with proper circulation, you should have a decrease or elimination of pain, improved range of motion, and greater feelings of well-being. These are the very benefits we look to achieve with dry needling.

If you have been the victim of an automobile or motorcycle collision and suffering from chronic pain and a decreased quality of life, reach out to the caring and competent staff at your Miami Impact Medical location for a consultation today. We are confident we can get you back to having fun in the sun in no time. Call us today!