Dry needling is an increasingly popular therapy used to relax, relieve and ‘restart’ muscles which are painful, tight, and overused. It involves the inserting of thin, sterile needles into specific muscle trigger points in order to create a local twitch response and the resulting relief of muscle tension and pain.
Benefits for feet and leg pain:
Dry needling is quick, relatively painless and often very effective – with muscle tension, pain relief, and muscle reactivation commonly achieved soon after insertion & removal of the needle.
The procedure can help relieve multiple foot & leg pains, including:
- Heel or arch pain (plantar fasciitis),
- Achilles soreness,
- Calf tightness and pain,
- ‘Shin splints’,
- Forefoot pain (surrounding toes and balls of the feet),
- General muscle tightness or strain.
How does it work?
Trigger points are focused areas of tight or tense muscle which can be caused by both sudden and long-term tension, strain or injury. These points often indicate concentrated areas of poor blood flow, inflammation, chemical imbalances and overworked muscle contractions. When dry needling is applied to these trigger points, the muscles are ‘reset’ and given a ‘jump-start’ to encourage the healing process!
Is it the same as Acupuncture?
Developed in ancient China, acupuncture has long been thought to help reset and restore the body’s ideal flow of energy or “qi”. Dry needling differs in that it uses modern medical concepts of anatomy and biology – focusing on the targeted relief of specific muscular structures.
The experience & value of the course…
Podiatrists are, by nature, masters of foot & leg anatomy, but learning and performing dry needling helped us gain a deeper, intimate understanding of how each muscle works and connects with the rest of the body.
As a podiatrist, the entire experience was unforgettable and I feel like new doors have been opened. I’m truly excited to have learned this skill and cannot wait to share the benefits with others!
