5 Dry Needling Benefits for Neck Pain
Dry needling for neck pain has many benefits. No matter if you slept wrong, had a long day at the office, are up to your ears in stress, or had an intense work out, dry needling has been shown to aid in relieving neck pain. Dry needling may be able to help reduce this pain that you are experiencing by: optimizing blood flow, increasing range of motion, stimulating pain killers, relieving muscle spasms, and reducing stress.
Dry Needling Increases Blood Flow
Blood flow is critical to overall muscle healing. Blood is your body’s natural highway – it is the means by which proteins, hormones, oxygen, and nutrients are transported throughout the body. Each of these listed items is crucial to overall muscle function and healing. Dry needling, a technique in which thin needles are inserted into muscles, is a key player in increasing blood flow. When the needles are inserted, blood rushes to the area, saturating the region around the needle with muscle restoring nutrients.
Increasing Range of Motion Helps Reduce Neck Pain
Dry needling, by increasing blood flow, will also help to increase range of motion. It doesn’t take long to realize how crucial range of motion is. This is especially true when you lose it – even the most simple tasks – getting dressed, preparing meals, and getting in and out of a car – can seem like monumental tasks. Each needle also stimulates nerves in the area, assisting in muscle contraction. Therefore, by increasing blood flow and stimulating nerves, muscles can start to increase motion. At this point at additive effect often occurs – as more motion is achieved, an even greater amount of blood flow can flood into the tissues, more blood brings more nutrients and nerve stimulation, resulting in more motion, and so on and so forth.
Dry Needling Helps Relieve Tightness and Muscle Spasms
One of the ways muscle spasms occur is through a lack of oxygen in the muscle tissue. When we sit for too long, don’t get enough physical activity, or are stressed, blood doesn’t flow into these areas of tension or compression as easily. This often results in little islands of decreased oxygen. Once there is a lack of oxygen in these areas, the muscle fibers begin to bunch together, resulting in tight knots.
If this continues for a period of time, it can also restrict the ability of critical nutrients to enter the tissues: calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Imbalances in these key minerals can often result in muscle spasms. Therefore, in addition to dry needling- increasing movement: walking, stretching, full body exercises, jogging, [insert your other favorite aerobic activity]- can help to increase blood flow, creating an environment for pain relief and healing.
Dry Needling Activates Pain Reducing Pathways to the Brain
As mentioned prior, dry needling stimulates nerves. Research on the effects of acupuncture and dry needling has found that each point can stimulate a different part of the brain. This can shed light on how these therapies can be useful in helping different conditions throughout the body. When the needles are inserted, it results in a phenomenon called “pain gating“. This therapy results in pain relief in the areas affected by dry needling.
Research has found that in addition to “pain gating”, dry needling also stimulates the release of pain killers – endorphins and enkephalins. Our brain naturally makes these chemicals that help to reduce stress and manage pain. They are released in response to dry needling, exercise, laughter, meditation, and eating chocolate (who needs an excuse to eat chocolate- really?!).
Dry Needling Helps to Reduce Stress
There are a number of benefits that come from dry needling therapy in addition to pain reduction. Stress is a key component to many different health conditions and is often a large factor in neck pain. Patients often report a calming sensation when they finish with their appointment. It is not uncommon to hear, “I feel like I’m walking on a cloud” or “I feel so much lighter”.
Therefore if you, or those you care about, are suffering with neck pain, dry needling is therapy you should consider. A great number of patients are shocked by the realization that they often can’t even feel the needles during application or removal. This means no pain and, often, great results. To help resolve your neck pain, contact our office today to set up your dry needling appointment: 281-826-2685
