Performance Physical Therapy in Des Moines
At Fortitude & Freedom, we use dry needling as one of our approaches to resolving pain and improving performance. Dry needling is a modern treatment method gaining popularity in Des Moines. It involves using thin needles to target specific tissue that may be causing pain, tightness, impairing movement or failing to heal after an injury.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique in which thin needles target dysfunctional tissues that contribute to pain, trigger points or failed healing. Trigger points are tight bands of muscle tissue that can cause pain both locally and in other parts of the body. The dry needling practitioner will insert the thin needle into the trigger point or area of referred pain or muscle that fails to heal on its own, which stimulates a local and systemic response in the body and helps to decrease pain, improve tissue mobility or promote blood flow for tissue healing.
How is Dry Needling Done?
The dry needling procedure begins with assessing movement patterns and soft tissue dysfunction. Then, the practitioner identifies a treatment zone in muscles, tendons, and ligaments using palpation. Thin needles are inserted into these areas to help release the tight or contracted tissue, promote blood flow, or stimulate the nerves to reduce pain. The practitioner may use various techniques throughout the procedure, ranging from shallow insertion of needles to deeper penetrations.
Conditions That Dry Needling Can Help
Dry needling can be used to help with a variety of conditions, including:
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Neck, shoulder, and back pain
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Muscle pain
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Nerve pain
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Joint pain
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Low back pain with radiculopathy
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Headaches and migraines
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Tension or spasms in the muscles
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Sciatica or piriformis syndrome
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Sports injuries
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Muscle strains
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Poor posture habits
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Tendinopathies or tendonitis
At Fortitude &Freedom, we understand how important it is to return to the activities you love. We're here to help with our comprehensive approach that combines dry needling and other treatments like manual therapy, exercise prescription, nutrition guidance, and stress management.
Contact us today to learn how dry needling can help you resolve pain and return to the activities you love! We look forward to helping you live a high-performance, pain-free life!