INTEGRATED DRY NEEDLING

1 year ago

Available

Description

Integrated Dry Needling (IDN) is an approach for the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain syndromes of neuropathic origin. It is based on Western medical science and the radiculopathic model of pain. Radiculopathic pain or neuropathic pain/neuropathy occurs when nerves in the peripheral nervous system malfunction and become supersensitive following minor irritation. These supersensitive nerves then misinterpret harmless signals from the body as exaggerated pain. This in turn results in ongoing (chronic) pain without any physical signs of permanent injury or inflammation. The most common cause of neuropathy is spondylosis. Spondylosis is the degenerative narrowing of the space between the spinal vertebrae that occurs due to everyday wear and tear or overuse. Neuropathy causes muscles to rest in a shortened state (contracture), which will cause increased compression of a joint and the nerve. Compression further increases the degeneration effects of spondylosis, creating a painful cascading circle of events. IDN treatment utilizes acupuncture needles (a small fine solid needle) to specifically target injured muscles that have contracted and become shortened from distress. IDN requires a thorough physical examination of the patient by a skilled practitioner trained to recognize the physical signs of neuropathic pain. This physical examination is essential, as chronic pain is often neurological in nature as opposed to structural, and therefore, its signs are not visible on X-rays, MRI tests, bone and CT scans.