Acupuncture and dry needling are tools physiotherapists use to manage pain and provide stress and tension relief.

What is Acupuncture?

Your body has a natural flow of energy or “qi” through your body, and with any injury or ailment, there can be a disruption in that flow.  Acupuncture taps into mapped out pathways or “meridians’ to help restore the normal flow of energy and restore your body to balance.

Since acupuncture can help restore this balance of energy that flows through the body, the benefits of acupuncture can range from helping decrease pain and restoring overall well-being, to digestive, respiratory and emotional disorders.

Clinical studies in the U.S. have shown evidence that acupuncture can be helpful for chronic lower back pain, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia and pain with osteoarthritis.

What to Expect During an Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture uses very fine, sterile needles that are placed in very specific locations.  You may feel a momentary sharp sensation as the needle is inserted, but many report they don’t feel much.  It is common to feel a deep ache for a short period in some points.  The depth that the needle is inserted various according to the acupuncture point, and are usually left there for 10-20 minutes and then removed.  Many people find that acupuncture can be relaxing and effective, and is often used as an alternative to medication.

What Can Acupuncture Treat?

Here are some conditions that your physiotherapist might use acupuncture to treat:

• Muscle spasms and pain
• lower back problems
• headaches, including lessening the frequency and intensity of migraines
• neck pain
• osteoarthritis
• knee pain

The Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture benefits our paients in the following ways:

• relief from pain
• decreased inflammation
• increased circulation
• relief from muscle spasms

How Long Will It Be Before I Notice Improvements?

Like many things, any benefit can vary from person to person.  Some people will notice a change with the first treatment and a few people may not notice improvement with repeated treatments.  People will often get the most benefit over a course of 4-8 sessions of acupuncture.

Functional Dry Needling

Functional Dry Needling is a therapeutic activity that involves introducing a very fine needle into a painful or tight muscle that is the source of pain or movement restriction. The technique uses a “dry” needle, meaning it does not contain medication, inserted through the skin into tight bands of muscle called “trigger points”. Evidence shows that Dry Needling can be very effective in the treatment of many conditions.

Benefits of Functional Dry Needling

Patients who are treated with functional dry needling report the following benefits:

• decreased myofascial pain and stiffness
• improvement in joint and overall mobility- often immediately
• improvements in neuromuscular function
• increase in blood flow locally
• “sharpen” brain mapping of affected area

Contact Us for a No-Obligation Phone Consultation

If you’re suffering from general body pain, acupuncture might help! Please contact our office to set up a 10-minute no-obligation with one of our physiotherapists, or simply fill in our form and we’ll get in touch with you.