So you’re looking for information about how to relieve pain with dry needling. Well you’re in the right place! Below are the most common symptoms of pain that we help people with everyday.
- Sharp pain or spasms that keep you up at night in areas such as your neck, shoulders, lower back, ankle, knee, jaw, butt, legs, or other area?
- Migraines?
- Weird pain that comes and goes?
- throbbing pain that shoots up the back of your head and gets worse with stress and too much time typing?
- Overall tightness in a specific part of your body that just don’t seem to want to relax? Such as in neck and shoulders, or your lower back
- Stiffness caused by arthritis, degeneration or wear and tear in joints such as knee, ankle, or lower back?
You are not alone if you feel these ‘common’ problems. Many people don’t get help.
Let it rest, take a few pain killers, and the pain usually goes away on its own. Maybe it does… for a while. But after weeks or months, you notice the pain is still there. What’s more, it’s getting much worse.
You’re so scared something is wrong. You feel like maybe something else is going on. Then you start noticing things that really worry you.
The pain may start to get worse. Now you may feel:
- Sharp, shooting pains that feel like a knife is stabbing in
- A tight, stressful, tense feeling that causes headaches and migraines and won’t go away with stretching, massage, or anything else you’ve tried
- Pins and needles that makes parts of your body tingle and go numb
- Pain so bad you’re on a bunch of different medications to manage the pain (although you hate the side effects)
- Restless nights as you can’t find a comfortable position to sleep
- Depressed, frustrated, and confused because nothing seems to make the agonizing pain go away
- Feeling overly cautious, and nervous about sudden movements to protect your hamstring, calf, plantar fasciitis or your Achilles especially when playing sport.
If that’s happening to you, you’re not alone – we hear these worries all the time. In fact, pain that won’t go away no matter what you’ve tried are one of THE most common problems we help people with at our clinics in Mount Waverley, and Murrumbeena.
When it comes to living with frustrating, relentless pain, everybody we see wants the answers to these questions:
“Why is this happening to me?”
or
“Why am I still suffering with pain that’s getting worse even after 6 months or more?”
When this happens, you get really anxious. Scared. You think something major is going on and at this point you may realise your pain isn’t going away on its own. People come into our clinics all the time whilst they’re going through this experience. Usually:
- Weeks and months go by
- More advice on ‘taking it easy’. More drugs for the pain…
- You Google ‘neck pain treatment’, ‘back pain home remedies’ or ‘carpal tunnel pain diagnosis’ for a solid solution, but are overwhelmed by the 15 pages of search results…
- You jump on forums hoping to see if:
- Someone can relate – so you can feel less alone
- You can gain insight into your condition
- You can exchange advice about what has worked (or not)
- You can decide who to go to (and not go to)
- There are better ways to manage the pain.
- You’re not doing any exercise (or at low intensity) and eating badly because you feel depressed…
- You’re confused, scared, and grumpy…
- You can’t help feeling negative and angry about everything and with everyone…
- And your pain feels so much worse…
- It’s so much worse because you have no clue what’s going on!
- And nothing makes you feel completely normal…
- So you put off making a decision, you feel stuck – so you procrastinate…
- You accept the pain as “normal” and “part of your life”. It “has to be that way”…
If you’re currently living with pain, here are 7 more reasons why it could be lasting longer than it should:
- 1. You thought your pain would go away with rest, but it hasn’t
- 2. A friend or family member convinced you that everyone gets pain with age, so suck it up and stop complaining
- 3. You may have tried stuff like pain meds, sedatives, heat pads, TENS, massage, or a brace, but they’re not helping
- 4. You got help from specialists and healthcare professionals - even another Osteopath - but no one has made a real difference so far
- 5. Your confusion and despair is increasing the pain - and you can’t help obsessing about it, which makes the problem worse
- 6. The pain is severely affecting your life and your family so much you’re actually considering surgery
- 7. You’ve been referred from person to person but no one can shed light on it, and you’re at the end of your tether with the ridiculous pain.
We understand you may feel lost, sceptical, or completely overwhelmed by now. Please know that you are not alone. Here at Focus Osteopathy, we hear this ALL the time!
If any of these have happened to you – we would love to help you figure out what to do next. It’s GREAT that you’ve tried any – or all – of these things. You now know what doesn’t work. So you’re a step closer to finding out what does work!
Book a call to chat to a friendly Osteopath at our Murrumbeena or Mount Waverley clinic. Get personalised advice from experts. All calls are FREE – and there’s NO OBLIGATION to make an appointment. Our goal is to help you make the right decision about what to do next.
Don’t procrastinate any longer. Your pain is NOT OK. You DON’T HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT!
Our experience and knowledge from helping hundreds of people with pain in our 2 clinics has helped us discover common sources of pain and common ways to relieve pain quickly. These may also work for you.
Here are 2 things you can do:
- 1. Make a decision to get help
This can often be the most difficult step in the entire process of getting better. Most people learn to put up with pain which starts off being an annoyance more than anything. However before you know it, 6 weeks has turned into 6 months which has turned in to 6 years and by this stage the pain is no longer just a pain…it has become a real problem.
- 2. Get real, “hands-on” help
At Focus Osteopathy, muscle tightness and pain are common issues we see people living with.
If muscle tightness or pain is affecting you at work, disturbing your sleep, holding you back from your activities, or keeping you from enjoying time with family and friends, needling can give you an opportunity to get back the healthy lifestyle you deserve.
This exactly why we are here to help! What we understand from your visit to our website today is that you want a NATURAL way of HEALING your pain WITHOUT pain killers or unnecessary surgery. We’re here to help you figure this out and give you the confidence, clarity, and direction to make the right decision about your health.
From helping people in our clinics, we’ve found that the number 1 reason why people suffer from pain is because they are not completely aware of their bodies…but more importantly, most people don’t understand the root cause of their pain.
The truth about pain…is that there is NO QUICK FIX. There is no MAGIC SOLUTION.
It’s important to understand this:
Over time, for anyone with pain that’s left untreated, muscles will get weak. Joints will get stiff. And get worse with time.
Do you want to risk waiting?
or
Would you like to go and find out exactly what’s wrong – and start your recovery now!
At Focus Osteopathy, we are here TO HELP YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH. Living without pain. For the long term. No magic solutions. No quick fixes. Just a solid, actionable, plan made especially for you.
It’s worth a go isn’t it? If you’re sick of your pain, book your completely free, no-obligation, risk-free appointment at one of our clinics.
Here’s what you can expect your Dry Needling Therapist to work on for you:
- Treat your pain and stiffness
- Discover the root cause of your pain once and for all
- Reduce or get you off painkillers so you don’t have to rely on them long term
- Help you sleep better and get through your day without pain
- Help you sit more comfortably and walk without pain or weakness
- Show you the right set of exercises to speed up your recovery by strengthening your body
- Explore every NATURAL option including dry needling to avoid dangerous surgery - and painful injections
- Keep you out of the doctor’s waiting room
- Help you enjoy precious time with your family and friends again
- Create a tailored, sensible plan to get you feeling normal again.
This is what we’ve helped many people with through our knowledge and experience working with pain sufferers across our 2 clinics.
During your session you’ll:
- Be listened to: we want to understand your struggles and how your problem has been affecting your life
- Set goals: you’ll dig deeply to decide how you want to feel and what you want to accomplish (whether you want to get back to sport or work again, or just get through your day without pain)
- Find out the root causes of your pain from a whole-of-body perspective: you are not your pain – by understanding you, we get a better picture of how your problem has developed.
What you’ll get from your personalised, one-on-one session:
- You’ll get dry needling combined with other osteopathy techniques which may:
- Give you a better night’s sleep by releasing the tension in your problem area
- Improve your posture through “spinal mobilisations” and advanced stretching techniques to open up your breathing and improve mobility
- Unlock your problem area so you can move it more freely
- Get rid of “scar tissue” from old injuries, past surgeries, or repetitive activities such as using the computer or playing sport
- An individualised, focussed, corrective exercise program designed for your level of comfort and ability to:
- Improve your exercise form so you won’t need to “modify exercises” for around the area of pain anymore
- Boost your energy and restore confidence in your body when you build postural awareness and stability
- Strengthen your body and restore movement so you can enjoy walking around your home, working out, or simply sitting on your couch for a Friday night movie session again
- Take back control of your body through exercises that give you “body awareness” so you avoid constant tight muscles
- Long-term support. We are only a phone call or email away.
You’ll find all this in a friendly, approachable, non-judgmental environment. We listen, we care. We want to know why. We are dedicated to guiding you through your journey, positively influencing your life – and the lives of those around you.
A thin-filament needle is inserted directly into the middle of a your tight muscle, at a “trigger point”. We jiggle the needle up and down until your muscle responds with a sudden movement, which may feel like a “twitch”.
Usually the tighter the knots, the more “twitches” we may need to get to loosen and relax your muscle. When this happens you’ll physically feel a softening of the muscle.
The purpose of this twitch is to get your muscle out of the habit of spasming – to break up the knots that are making your muscles tight.
As both acupuncture and dry needling involve needles, people are often confused about the difference.
Dry needling uses similar sized needles similar as used for acupuncture. But unlike acupuncture, dry needling is not a traditional Chinese medicine technique.
Traditional Chinese medicine is based on treating “energetic pathways”. So needles are inserted into the “energetic pathways”.
Dry needling is a Western medicine treatment. Practitioners insert needles directly into the muscles and nerve pathways causing the pain.
It can work in the 1 session – or it may take a few more sessions. As with any other treatment, it depends on a few things such as:
- How long you’ve had your problem
- The extent of your problem
- How quickly your body can heal
- Whether there are any situations that might cause you to have a negative response to Dry Needling (we’ll find out before your session).
Dry needling can only be done by a qualified practitioner who has formally studied – and has practiced the skills needed to safely treat you.
What’s more, we combine dry needling with other osteopathy techniques.
Generally, people with deep knots are more likely to find dry needling painful.
However, as with any treatment, your response to dry needling may be different from other people.
Generally people feel muscle soreness after treatment for a day or two. We’ll give you instructions on how to minimise this. Some people don’t feel any soreness.
Bruising may also occur – this is much less common.
Note that like any treatment, side effects are very individual. Please contact us if you have any questions about possible side effects for you.
Every person’s situation is different and dry needling may – or may not work for everyone.
Note that although there’s no conclusive research about dry needling, people we’ve treated in our clinics have had great results in relieving their pain. That’s because we combine dry needling (no conclusive evidence) with remedial massage therapy and osteopathy manual techniques which are based on quality research and evidence.
Schedule your no-obligation, 100% free 20 minute phone consultation with our Dry Needling Therapist.
From here we can start an open, and honest conversation about your problems, just to make sure we’re the right fit for you.
If you are ready and keen to start the healing process ASAP, schedule your 100% FREE “Discovery Session” – a free 20 minute “taster sample” of our services. You’ll get to see our clinic and meet us in person to check if we’re a good fit for each other.
*This free session is for people who are nervous or sceptical about Dry Needling – unsure of its benefits – or if it is right for them. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions page for further details.