Dry Needling Physiotherapy in Spain

Dry Needling (Wikipedia) also knows as trigger point dry needling is a technique used by physcial therapists. The method came over from Canada and has been used for years within regular physiotherapy in different parts of the world. Profysio in Spain, has a lot of experience with dry needling techniques and applies this, in accordance with the latest methods and most recent developments, trained by Canadian therapist.

Dry needling is mainly used to treat myofascial trigger points, but it
is also used to target connective tissue, neural ailments, and muscular
ailments and results in rapid and long-lasting muscle relaxation.

How it works

Dry Needling usually uses one needle, which is used to puncture the muscle for a short time. Dry needling works on specific points in the so-called ‘trigger points’. The Physiotherapist tries to switch off these trigger points by letting the muscle relax at the specific point.

A trigger point is a ‘knot’ in a muscle,  a local contracture or tight band in a muscle fiber, which, in addition to local pressure pain, often also causes pain in nearby places. These triggerpoints can be the cause of several different complaints. Therefor in case of long-term complaints, the therapist will often treat several muscles in arm or leg or along the spine. The treatment is used in conjunction with other treatment methods and can be used for a wide variety of musculoskeletal issues, such as arm, leg, shoulder, neck, heel, hip and back pain.

What does Dry Needling feel like?

In principle, you do not feel the insertion of the needle or very lightly. When the correct trigger point is punctured, the muscle contracts briefly. That gives a kind of ‘cramp’ feeling. After that, the muscle usually relaxes immediately and you can move more easily. The treated muscles often feel tired and heavy afterwards, but that is usually short-lived.

What is the difference with acupuncture?

 In acupuncture, several needles are often superficially inserted into the body. They remain there for some time and influence the ‘energy’ in the body. Dry Needling is not an energy treatment and works with only 1 needle that briefly stimulates the muscle. In addition, acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, where Dry Needling originates from a Western scientific model with application within Physiotherapy.

Trigger points can manifest themselves in:

  • local pain/stiffness in a muscle and also ´distant´pain elsewhere
  • movement limitations in associated muscles
  • decreased strength in the involved muscles
  • pain avoiding behavior; you will move differently
  • tingling in arm/leg, headache, dizziness

Trigger points can be caused by:

  • An acute wrong move or accident 
  • Chronic, e.g. due to a long-term incorrect posture
  • Prolonged absence of movement, e.g. when wearing a cast 
  • ‘Weak’ ligaments in, for example, ankles and/or knees
  • Psychological cause such as stress and depression 
  • Foot deformities, instability or e.g. a difference in leg length
  •  Clothes that are too tight or wearing a backpack incorrectly

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Reference

Just like for physiotherapy, you do not necessarily need a referral by a doctor for dry needling, you can simply contact us and make an appointment. Dry needling is part of a physiotherapy treatment. Every treatment is always preceded by an intake and examination, after which, in consultation with you, the most effective treatment is proposed based on your specific complaints.