Optima
Acupuncture

Acupuncture & Dry Needling

At Optima Sports Medicine we offer both acupuncture and dry needling services to augment soft tissue treatment. Essentially, the main difference between acupuncture and dry needling is the philosophy behind each discipline.

ACUPUNCTURE is a Chinese Art of Medicine that dates back thousands of years in China and other parts of East Asia. Chinese Medicine states that an illness is due to an imbalance in the body's energy. This energy is known as Qi Qi and runs throughout the body by way of channels and meridians that run both superficially and deep. Acupuncture involves the strategic placement of fine needles to promote the free flow of the body's energy to restore its natural balance. It can be used to alleviate a vast array of very common complaints.

What can acupuncture do for me?

Acupuncture is for almost everyone. The great thing is that you don't necessarily need to be unwell to benefit! It is effective in preventing the severity of colds and flues, muscle tension, cramping and other minor problems associated with everyday life. It can also be used to treat specific disorders to relieve symptoms as well as help reduce recurrence. Acupuncture does not interfere with existing drug therapy. People seeking Physiotherapy and Chiropractic treatment often combine their treatments with acupuncture for greater recovery time and better mobility.

DRY NEEDLING, like acupuncture, uses very fine needles that are inserted into muscles and tissues of the body. It is an effective way to compliment physiotherapy treatment as a way of relieving tension and trigger points found in muscles. Trigger points are localised portions of muscles that have become tightened. This results in tenderness of the muscle and effects the way the muscle is used (as it is unable to lengthen and contract like healthy muscle tissue).

What can dry needling do for me?

Like acupuncture, just about everyone can benefit from dry needling. Often dry needling is used to maximise the effectiveness of physiotherapy treatment, and therefore is used for sporting and non-sporting clients. Occasionally, your physiotherapist may recommend a treatment consisting predominantly of dry needling; however it is more common that dry needling is a technique used by your clinician during a normal physiotherapy treatment to assist in your management. The benefits of dry needling include:

• Relieve muscle pain
• Improve muscle length
• Improve recruitment/use of muscles
• Improve sleep and relaxation

Does it hurt?

The needles used for acupuncture and dry needling are very thin and solid (not like injection needles). They are individually wrapped, sterilized and for single use only, then are discarded. When using proper placement techniques, you should not feel any or only minimal pain. You may feel a slight tingling or heaviness after they are inserted. This is very common and is an encouraged sign.