Trigger points and dry needling
Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture is a medical approach that rapidly relieves acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. It is different to Chinese acupuncture and treats musculoskeletal pain, 97% of which is caused by tight muscles and trigger points.
Muscles can get tight for a range of reasons. What keeps them tight is the spindles (cellular apparatus that contract the muscles) that sends signals to the spinal cord reporting muscle length. Trigger points are localized significantly tender knots of pain that sit inside tight muscle bands. These are the strings inside the muscles that can be felt when they are tight. The longer the muscles are tight and have trigger points, the greater the pain feedback to the spinal cord, which causes more tension and generates a vicious cycle.
When seeking relief to tight muscles we often turn to massage, but we all know that massage, whilst pleasant, only lasts a few hours and up to a day or two.
Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture is a specialized technique that consists of placing a special type of acupuncture needles into the trigger points/tight bands. Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture is best performed by a specialist who has undergone extensive training in anatomy and trigger points.
Our lead osteopath, Simeon Asher, has literally written the textbook on trigger points https://www.lotuspublishing.co.uk/books/physical-therapy/the-concise-book-of-trigger-points-3e/
Simeon and his partner Dena Haffner are experienced and effective Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture practitioners. Simeon also serves as a teacher for the Israeli Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine where he has instructed many other doctors and practitioners.
Muscles can get tight for a range of reasons. What keeps them tight is the spindles (cellular apparatus that contract the muscles) that sends signals to the spinal cord reporting muscle length. Trigger points are localized significantly tender knots of pain that sit inside tight muscle bands. These are the strings inside the muscles that can be felt when they are tight. The longer the muscles are tight and have trigger points, the greater the pain feedback to the spinal cord, which causes more tension and generates a vicious cycle.
When seeking relief to tight muscles we often turn to massage, but we all know that massage, whilst pleasant, only lasts a few hours and up to a day or two.
Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture is a specialized technique that consists of placing a special type of acupuncture needles into the trigger points/tight bands. Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture is best performed by a specialist who has undergone extensive training in anatomy and trigger points.
Our lead osteopath, Simeon Asher, has literally written the textbook on trigger points https://www.lotuspublishing.co.uk/books/physical-therapy/the-concise-book-of-trigger-points-3e/
Simeon and his partner Dena Haffner are experienced and effective Dry needling/IMS/medical acupuncture practitioners. Simeon also serves as a teacher for the Israeli Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine where he has instructed many other doctors and practitioners.