One of the many services that Alkaline Physical Therapy offers is Trigger Point Dry Needling (TPDN). TPDN is a technique used to relieve myofacial pain in the muscles using a very thin filament needle. Myofacial pain can be caused by many things (such as scoliosis, poor posture, poor body mechanics, and joint hypermobilites), but they all have one thing in common: they create a trigger point. Trigger points are knots within the muscle that cause myofacial pain in a localized area. Below depicts the trigger point complex.
Myofacial pain caused by trigger points can limit sensory, motor, and autonomic function leading to dysfunction. Muscle weakness is then a secondary effect due to motor inhibition, restricted motion, and muscle stiffness. This creates a positive feedback loop of negative effects on your deep musculature.
TPDN relieves pain caused by trigger points that limit muscular function. By inserting a very thin needle into the trigger point, the muscle twitches as the contraction knot is released. This allows the muscle to reset and function normally again. Depending on how damaged the muscle is from the trigger point, soreness may occur for up to 24-48 hours.
You may be thinking that TPDN sounds a lot like acupuncture. While both TPDN and acupuncture use needles, they are very different. Acupuncture points are located along pathways called meridians. Meridians are paths that energy flows through the body. TPDN places a needle into specific musculature to pinpoint a know within the muscle. If you are having pain, TPDN will help reset your muscles to relieve your pain. At Alkaline Physical Therapy, we will also work on your structural alignment after you TPDN session, to make sure you pain does not repeatedly come back.