dry needling

Right off the bat, I'm going to give you a disclaimer. I'm going to be answering the question of dry needling from the perspective of an acupuncturist. You will more than likely get a different answer from PTs and chiropractors. I also want to say, those differing answers are okay. We all approach medicine from a different lens. 

So, let's get into the meat of it, what is dry needling?

When I was taught dry needling back in 2018, it was centered around resisted muscle testing, and using needles and electrical stimulation (e-stim from a tens machine) to reset the muscles. I took several more courses after that because there's a lot to learn about muscle dysfunction along with all of the muscles. The purpose of dry needling is to get into the belly of a muscle and stimulate it to twitch. Some people experience it as a cramp, some people a slight grabbing. The point of the twitch is to get the muscle through its whole range of motion and back to neutral. 

 Is dry needling different than acupuncture?

This is where I will differ WILDLY from other practitioners and say no. Dry needling is a type of acupuncture. Acupuncturists in general get very testy about this. Dry needling is acupuncture. HOWEVER, it is a very distinct style of acupuncture that we are not taught in our general acupuncture education. This is why not all acupuncturists practice dry needling. My practice is based mainly on pain and internal medicine complaints, and I knew dry needling would be a very important part of how I get my patients fantastic results.

 Why would you come to see me versus a PT for dry needling?

Well, for one, because I can do it and PT’s can’t do it YET. A bill was passed last year and PT’s in Oregon are working with acupuncturists in Oregon to figure out the finer legal points of licensing and all that jazz. So, for now, (until next year) I’m your only option.

What is the difference between getting it done with me versus a PT? 

This is mainly a preference question. When you come see me for dry needling you don’t JUST get dry needling. You get a whole treatment that’s tailored to you, what you have going on and what your goals are. I am a firm believer in not poking the bear so I tend to work my way into the area of pain versus attacking it straight on. Usually, I will let you rest with a set of pins in for 20-30 minutes to help your nervous system regulate, help your muscles relax and give you time to decompress. Then, typically at the end of the treatment, I go in with more pins and we do dry needling at the very end. I also think it’s more comfortable when I needle compared to when I’ve had non-acupuncturists needle me. Granted, at this point, 13 years into my career I’ve inserted hundreds of thousands of needles, so I would hope that most of what I do isn’t very painful. (But this is a huge personal point of preference that many will disagree with me on.)

Is the distinction between acupuncture and dry needling important?

Yes. If you’re going strictly for a musculoskeletal issue, you may just want to get down and dirty and get the dry needling and maybe some rehab exercises and be done with it. You also may want someone who will bill insurance (I’m not clear on whether or not dry needling by a PT will be covered by insurance or not). Like I stated earlier, not all acupuncturists are trained in dry needling, so if you have to move out of Baker County and find another acupuncturist (heaven forbid) you’ll want to find someone who has been trained in it. 

I’ll be honest, I’ve had a hard time separating dry needling from acupuncture because I learned dry needling as a form of acupuncture. So speaking about it as 2 separate things is a bit different for me. Also, I have a good friend who is trained in dry needling specifically and is just waiting for the rules to be passed and you bet your britches I’m going to be referring to them as soon as I can because they are super good at what they do. 

When it comes down to it, you deserve to not be in pain, and however you can get there, whether it's acupuncture (including dry needling) from me, or dry needling from a PT, I don’t care. I just care that you’re getting better.