What’s the difference?
Both acupuncture and dry needling use the same type of needle and follow many of the similar points, but have a different premise.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine with the body being made up of a mountain of energy “Qi” which can be equated to rivers. If you block one of the rivers it dams and alters the whole mountains flow. Therefore acupuncture places needles in the foot, hand and around the whole body to help rectify the flow of rivers / energy.
Dry needling
Dry needling utilises trigger points or areas of increased muscle tension. It is based on the traditional Western idea of medicine and is very local. The muscle grasps onto the needle and in response to this causes the body to release noradrenaline, serotonin and endorphins. These are the feel good substances of the body. They decrease the body’s ability to feel pain which in turn provides the brain with fewer pain signals and therefore decreases the tightness in the muscles.
At Leap Health and Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centres we offer patients the option to use dry needling in their physiotherapy consultations.
You can learn more about our dry needling service here.
Mark Pennington – Physiotherapist – Leap Health Rosny Park
Mark is originally from balmy Brisbane, where he graduated in 1998 from the University of Qld. He has worked in a diverse range of clinical settings and locations – both private and public, including overseas in the UK. Mark has a keen interest in understanding the cause of conditions and thus prevention. Mark places key emphasis on education and making patients a master of their condition.