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DRY NEEDLING IN BONDI SYDNEY
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling evolved from treatments in the 1940s where researchers were injecting painful areas with anaesthetic. They eventually found that by using hypodermic needles without any injectable substance, similar results were observed. Hence the term “dry” needling was adopted, as opposed to a needle with a liquid injection.
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This method became most popular for treatment of myofascial trigger points that had been popularised by the work of Janet Travell (personal physician to John F. Kennedy) and her associate David Simons. Myofascial trigger points are hyper-irritable regions within skeletal muscle that tend to be tight and painful on palpation. They can refer certain predictable referral patterns of pain and dysfunction.
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The acupuncture needle was soon adopted as the main tool for dry needling after China started to open up to the world in the 1970s. This is where a lot of the confusion between dry needling and acupuncture comes from.
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Is Dry Needling The Same As Acupuncture?
No. The same style of acupuncture needles are used for both dry needling and traditional acupuncture, but the theory behind treatment are different.
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Dry needling will tend to focus only on musculoskeletal complaints such as pain and sporting injuries. The theories used are based on myofascial trigger points, muscle anatomy and physiology.
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Acupuncture was used as a traditional form of medicine for several thousand years in China and surrounding East-Asian countries for all types of complaints. The theory used is based in traditional texts and so the language can appear foreign to the modern person. Essentially the body was viewed as an ecosystem and acupuncture primarily dealt with regulating blood flow to restore healthy ecology to the body.
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Within acupuncture there are also “ashi” points which share many similarities with myofascial trigger points in that they tend to be tender on palpation and elicit a vocalised reaction (“ashi” mean “oh yes”).
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A well trained acupuncturist will be able to use dry needling as part of their approach, but a dry needler won’t be able to use acupuncture treatments without 4+ years of extra study.
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What Is Dry Needling Used For?
Dry needling is often used by practitioners when working with conditions such as:
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Neck pain
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Headaches
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Shoulder pain
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Elbow pain
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Wrist pain
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Back pain
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Hip pain
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Knee pain
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Ankle pain
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Plantar fasciitis
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If you’re not sure if dry needling can help you with something specific, contact us here with any questions.
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Where Can I Get Dry Needling In Sydney?
If you’re looking to try dry needling in Sydney, a good option is with an acupuncturist who has training in myofascial trigger points. With an acupuncturist you’ll be getting someone who has undergone many hundreds of hours of training with needling technique and who continues to practice and use these techniques on a regular basis.
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Other practitioners offering dry needling will have typically done just a weekend course before being able to incorporate it into their practice. If you’re going to try it with someone who only has a dry needling qualification, make sure that they’re well experienced and use it regularly as part of treatment, not just once in a while.
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At Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Sydney, I incorporate dry needling techniques into my acupuncture treatments where appropriate. With a background in remedial massage therapy, I enjoy working with myofascial trigger points as part of my approach to acupuncture. I also incorporate traditional distal acupuncture, motor point acupuncture and electro acupuncture into my practice.
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If you would like to try dry needling in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, consider Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Sydney. Servicing areas such as Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Waverly, Randwick, Maroubra, Double Bay, Watson's Bay, Vaucluse and surrounding Sydney suburbs. You can book online here or reach out with any questions here.
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