Should I be scared of dry needling? The answer is no!

Some people don’t know how dry needling works or what it actually does. Others are too afraid of it. They either don’t like needles or they’ve seen too many videos online and it’s put them off.

But in some cases, dry needling can feel less painful than other forms of treatment, including massage. Massage can sometimes be a lot to handle, especially after a heavy workout or an intense run. Needling, though it looks invasive, can be quite relaxing.

So what does it actually do?

Dry needling increases blood flow, interrupts the brain's pain signals, kick starts the body's natural healing response, releases stubborn trigger points or "knots" and relaxes muscle tension.

How does it do this?

When you insert a needle into muscle tissue, the body recognises it as a foreign object and begins to send blood, oxygen and natural healing compounds to the area to protect it and help it repair.

Some people describe the sensation as heavy, achy, a bit bruisy or pinchy. Some say that they just become really aware of the area. Sometimes you’ll get a twitch response which is an involuntary spasm of the muscle tissue. Some describe that sensation as a really minor electric shock or zap. That usually means that the needle has come into contact with a trigger point or “knot”, which is what we want in order to help it release.

Now, I won’t deny that dry needling videos online can be really extreme or scary to look at. Some practitioners choose to “pepper” the needle, which basically means that they move the needle in and out in a rhythmic motion to try and get that twitch response.

But regardless whether or not you pepper the needle, the body still responds to the initial stimulus and triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin to the brain and spinal cord, and other substances to the site itself. So at BodyWide, I prefer to insert the needles and  leave them to trigger that response. Especially with new clients who’ve never had the treatment before and can be a bit hesitant or apprehensive about it.

So the next time you feel like you’ve got some tension or a really stubborn knot you need released (or if you just want to rip the band-aid off and see what dry needling is really like first-hand), book yourself in for a Myotherapy session. And do let me know what your concerns are around it, cause it doesn’t have to be that scary. You tell me what you feel comfortable with and I’ll work with you to make sure that the experience is a positive one.