Dry Needling
Beneficial for muscle pain, dry needling is used to release myofascial trigger points and can be used for a variety of musculoskeletal dysfunctions.
The treatment is mostly pain free with some clients feeling only a slight twitch in the muscle during application.
What is Dry Needling?
This form of treatment uses very fine sterilised needles inserted into specific points in the body to reduce pain and muscle tension.
Is it safe?
Dry needling is a very safe form of treatment. Serious side effects are rare with an incidence of 0.02 per 10 000 treatment
Are there any side effects?
Drowsiness may occur after treatment in some patients. If affected, you are advised to notify you physiotherapist and not to drive until the symptoms have resolved.
Minor bleeding / bruising occurs after dry needling in about 3% of treatments.
In a small percentage of patients, symptoms can become worse before improving. This is generally a sign that healing has begun. If the worsening of symptoms is concerning you or lasts for more than 2 days, contact you physiotherapist.
Fainting is rare, but can occur, particularly in new patients. To reduce the risk it is recommended that you consume food within 2-3hours prior to treatment.
Local infections can occur if bacteria on the skin are introduced into a joint by the needle. This is very rare – 0.014% per treatment.
The risk of Pneumothorax (collapsed lung) is extremely unlikely (less than 1 in 70,000- 1.3 million) with appropriate technique. Precautions will be taken at all times to avoid any complications. Should you experience any shortness of breath in 24-hour period after treatment, please seek medical advice.
To minimize complications we only use high quality needles, single-use, sterile, disposable needles that have TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approval.
