14 Apr What’s the Difference?
I often get asked what the difference is between dry needling and acupuncture. This is how I explain it!
Dry needling and acupuncture use the same needles, but are applied in different ways.
With dry needling, the needles are inserted into tissues (e.g. a muscle) to elicit a response at that particular area, (e.g. decrease tension). It’s often used as an adjunct to other techniques such as massage, to create a change in the tissue and ultimately decrease pain or improve movement.
Acupuncture places needles in certain “meridians”, which are the pathways which the body’s energy is said to flow, with the aim of restoring the body’s Qi (energy) flow. It is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is used to treat a variety of conditions, including pain conditions but also medical pathologies.
As a physio, we commonly practice dry needling, which is a course we have to do after university. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, I believe the results may be different for different people. So I would recommend having a chat to your doctor if you were wanting further advice as to which one would be more suitable for you.
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