Riverview Health physical therapist Carolyn Cebalo is a strong proponent of dry needling.
Cebalo said anyone is a good candidate for dry needling, which is used for multitude of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions.
“It can be done for tight muscles, trigger points in muscles, scar tissue and for pain relief,” said Cebalo, who has been using the procedure for six years. “I know (it’s) a bit counter intuitive, but the technique pushes the body to self-heal the lesion caused by the needle, and the hormones released in the healing process are our endorphins. The biggest question I get is, ‘Will it hurt?’ I tell (patients) it’s not like a feather going over you, but it should not feel like torture.”
Cebalo said the procedure has been growing in popularity and that dry needling differs from acupuncture in that the needle placement is not based on traditional Chinese medicine of designated points on the body.
“Acupuncture can place needles along meridians and help with energy flow, but dry needling involves finding myofasical trigger points, knots, in muscles that are small, contracted bands within muscle fibers that can contribute to pain and muscle dysfunction,” Cebalo said. “Dry needling can also be used to treat scar tissue, it can help assist with stimulating connective tissue cells for remodeling of tissue and improving scars.”
Cebalo said how long the benefits last depends on many factors, like how long the dysfunction has been present, and things like postural deficits or repetitive job duties can play a part.
“Some people have chronic conditions that may not allow the dysfunction to just go away,” Cebalo said. “It doesn’t mean that they won’t get benefits from dry needling, they may just need maintenance through the years.”
