Acupuncture or Dry needling is an invasive procedure in which a fine needle is inserted into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point. A myofascial trigger point consists of multiple contraction knots, which are related to the production and maintenance of the pain cycle.

During acupuncture at our sports therapy clinic nerve endings are stimulated and various hormones are released, e.g. endorphins and encephalins, which have a calming effect on the body and can stimulate healing. Acupuncture needles also work by releasing contracted muscles which are pressing on nerve endings and so causing pain

Acupuncture (Dry needling) can be used for a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Muscles are thought to be a primary contributing factor to the symptoms. Such conditions include, but are not limited to neck, back and shoulder pain, arm pain (tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, golfer’s elbow), headache to include migraines and tension-type headaches, jaw pain, buttock pain and leg pain (sciatica, hamstrings strains, calf tightness/spasms).

The treatment of muscles has the greatest effect on reducing pain mechanisms in the nervous system.

Most patients do not feel the insertion of the needle. The local twitch response elicits a very brief (less than a second) painful response. Some patients describe this as a little electrical shock; others feel it more like a cramping sensation. Again, the therapeutic response occurs with the elicitation of local twitch responses and that is a good and desirable reaction.

We only use sterile disposable needles.

Typically, it takes a couple of visits for a significant improvement to take place, however this is vastly improved through the combination of chiropractic and sports massage.