Dry Needling

You may already be familiar with dry needling if you’re an athlete, but people of all activity levels can use this treatment to address trigger points or myofascial pain, muscle stiffness, and even fibromyalgia pain. In the New Springville neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City, New York, acupuncture specialist Kerri Kuhlsen, L.Ac., c.SMA, offers dry needling at her private practice, Twin Acupuncture. To request an initial consultation, call or text the office or fill out the online form today.

What’s the difference between dry needling and acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a time-honored traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment that uses hair-thin needles to encourage your body’s natural healing and balancing processes. Dry needling is similar: It’s a medical technique that uses these acupuncture needles to decrease pain and relieve tension in specific trigger points or taut areas of muscle or fascia.

It’s especially used to address:

Myofascial pain

“Myo” refers to a muscle, and “fascia” is your body’s connective tissue that wraps around the muscles. Myofascial pain may feel like deep, aching muscular pain or a tender knot in the muscle.

Muscular pain and stiffness

Most individuals experience some level of muscular pain and stiffness. Still, in more severe cases, these symptoms can restrict your range of motion and impact your quality of life.

Trigger point pain

If your muscles have been overused or injured, you may develop painful areas of tautness in the muscle fibers. This may feel like an ache or even burning or tingling.

In the hands of skilled provider Kerri, dry needling is an excellent solution to many issues. There are no substances injected during the procedure, hence the term “dry.” An initial consultation is always the first step before dry needling treatment at Twin Acupuncture.

What can I expect during dry needling?

After an initial consultation to determine whether dry needling meets their needs, eligible candidates can schedule prompt treatment as soon as the same day, if necessary. If you’re a candidate for treatment, Kerri discusses your health history, concerns or injuries, and what you’d like to address.

Dry needling utilizes an extensive knowledge of your musculoskeletal system. During your treatment, Kerri locates your painful trigger points and introduces a fine needle to encourage relaxation and healing in the areas of greatest tension. You may feel soreness, even muscle twitches, as your body adapts.

What should I do after dry needling?

You’re likely to be sore after dry needling since you’ve been working with areas of tension, but the soreness should clear up quickly. Be sure to:

• Get plenty of rest
• Hydrate
• Massage your muscles gently
• Get light exercise, like stretching or walking

Dry needling is a unique tool to address many kinds of pain. To schedule your initial consultation, fill out the Twin Acupuncture online form or contact the office by calling or texting today.