ACUPUNCTURE / DRY NEEDLE
There are two acupuncture techniques, Chinese acupuncture and the dry needling technique. Chinese acupuncture is a method that effectively fights acute and chronic pain without medication. Very fine needles enter strategic points in the body that represent the meridians and are connected to our internal organs. Pain is not the only for choosing Chinese acupuncture but also for general well-being as well as fighting stress. In the western world we explain the use of acupuncture after a diagnosis and often targets specific muscles or nerve tissues. According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture affects the flow of Qi energy in the body and tries to improve imbalance. Chinese acupuncture has been used for thousands of years and is being researched more and more. The dry needling technique is used to reduce pain, to deactivate myofascial pain (trigger points), it helps with muscle spasms. The needles in both techniques are the same with the only difference that in Chinese acupuncture we use specific points depending on the meridians we want to affect, while in dry needling we use muscles that are tight. The sensation in dry needling is usually more intense as many times the muscle contracts and then relaxes. The dry needle technique is more recent in modern medicine so arthrography is limited, but it has certainly helped fight pain compared to placebo therapy. No serious side effects have been observed from the use of acupuncture especially if a well trained practitioner is performing it and has a good knowledge of anatomy. Needles are safer to be disposable and sterile.
