What is Electro Dry Needling & Dry Needling?

Dry needling and Electro Dry Needling involve the insertion of a fine filament needle into the tissue. Dry Needling is commonly used to release a “Trigger Point” or a tight irritable muscle knot – and is effective for the treatment of muscle pain and spasms. Trigger points are painful to touch and often refer pain and limit movement.

Electro Dry Needling involves attaching cables to the needles and these cables are attached to a battery powered Electro Stimulation Machine. This sends a small pulse through the needle into the tissue and is excellent for reducing pain.

What can Electro and Dry Needling Treat?

Why have Electro Dry Needling?

Electro-Dry Needling improves blood circulation and the transport of natural painkillers such as endorphins and opioids in order to reduce pain. Blood circulation is also stimulated, promoting the delivery of nutrients to tissues, accelerating the healing process.

Low frequency/high intensity Electro-Dry Needling produces long term pain relief increasing over several hours after treatment.

High frequency/low intensity Electro-Dry Needling produces quick acting, short term pain relief by preventing pain messages from travelling to the brain and blocking nerve pathways.

What Does Electro Needling Feel Like?

This will depend on the frequency used and the desired results. The sensation will be somewhere between a slight buzzing to an obvious rhythmic twitching sensation. Your Myotherapist will always ask what the sensation is like and if it is painful, the intensity will be adjusted accordingly

Does Dry Needling Hurt?

Not usually no. The aim of Dry Needling is to achieve a local twitch response or a sensation like a muscle cramp, to relax the overactive muscles, deactivate the trigger point, reduce pain and restore normal length and function to the involved muscle. The needle used is very thin and you can usually feel some sensation when it is applied although this should be slight. Sometimes the needle can be moved back and forth to create a twitch response.

The level of movement used depends on the training style and approach of each therapist. Our therapists use a gentle style for the most part, although it may be more robust if you are used to dry needling and are very active. Sometimes you can experience some discomfort if the needle is moved back and forth, but this is short lived.

Is Needling part of a treatment or done on it’s own?

It can be a standalone treatment or as part of a Myotherapy or Remedial Massage treatment depending on who you book with. Myotherapists learn Dry and Electro Needling as part of their course and if you have a Myotherapy appointment it will be included. Remedial therapists do a separate course and the cost is slightly higher than a remedial massage if you have Needling with a Remedial Therapist. Not all Remedial Therapists can do Dry Needling, you can view their profiles for further info or just hit the links below and you will see who is available.