Is Acupuncture Better Than Dry Needling For Massage Therapy?

When it comes to therapeutic processes, these two methods are regarded to be among the best, but is acupuncture better than dry needling? Well, the two processes usually involve the use of thin needles with an aim to relieve pain but the practices are a bit different. The practitioner of dry needling usually attempts to release tension on the knots while the practitioners of acupuncture insert the needles with an aim to release the feel good chemicals known as endorphins as well as affect the nervous system.

Acupuncture has been practiced for over 3000 years in the eastern countries more specifically in china. Several studies have identified acupuncture as an effective method to treat several health conditions, but dry needling is a newer practice and there is no comprehensive research about its ability to help treat different health conditions.

When it comes to guidelines, acupuncturists follow strict guidelines while there are no set guidelines set for the practitioners of dry needling to follow. If you want to know more about these two practices, keep reading and get to know the best practice that you should go for.

Acupuncture vs. Dry Needling

Dry needling is very effective when it comes to relieving pain as well as reducing cramps – the practitioner uses small needles in order to achieve this goal. The acupuncturists also uses needles and relieves pain too. Both practitioners shares some similarities but the two methods are different and should not be confused.

Acupuncture can be used for several medical conditions with the philosophy that when chi (the healing energy) is released one is going to feel better. Dry needling on the other hand came to practice recently and it is designed to relieve pain and tightness in the muscles. It is believed that when the practitioners insert small needles in the pressure points as well as the knots it will release tension that is surrounding the muscle.

More About Dry Needling

The primary aim of dry needling is to release the tension on the areas surrounding a muscle which in turn relieves pain but in addition to that, dry needling can help improve flexibility. The needles that are inserted into the pressure points or knots don’t contain any liquid in them and nothing is injected into your body.

Dry needling can be performed by sports therapists as well as physical therapists and if you want it performed in your home you can try out my home therapy. Since there is no regulations and guidelines for dry needling, a practitioner can perform dry needling even if he does not have any license.

It can be difficult to tell if a certain practitioner has enough experience to help you out or even if they are trained or even if they are performing the procedure the way it is supposed to be performed so you should be very careful when you go for dry needling.

The most common way of practicing dry needling is by leaving the needles in your muscles for 15 to 30 minutes and then they will be removed. There are also some ways that are not so common, one of them being in and out technique whereby the practitioner is going to filiform needles to the knots or pressure points then remove them right away. The other one is the non- trigger technique whereby the practitioner will insert the needles around the muscles as opposed to the knots and pressure points.

Although the research about dry needling is not very comprehensive, the studies that have been done about it are positive and promising some of them suggesting that dry needling may even have more health benefits than placebo treatment. It is a cost effective method and definitely better than not getting treatment at all.

More About Acupuncture

As we have highlighted, acupuncture has been around for centuries and it is mainly used for stress relief purposes, relieving pain and reducing discomfort. It was developed in China and it is believed that it works by opening up a person’s flow of energy or chi. Acupuncture involves use of long thin needles that are believed to stimulate muscles and nerves under the skin. The whole process leads to release of endorphins commonly known as the feel good chemicals.

It is also believed to help alleviate symptoms from a wide range of health conditions like nausea, pain in the muscles, cramping, labour related pain, knee pain and vomiting among others. For a person to practice acupuncture, he or she must be qualified and licensed for the activities. For a person to become an acupuncturist, he or she will have to undergo 3 to 4 years training.

In training they learn about how to identify the symptoms, diagnose different conditions and use the right techniques. Before a new practitioner receives a license, a senior member will supervise him or her to determine if they are good to go or not yet.

Acupuncture is supported by a lot of research and the studies suggests that acupuncture can be used to treat different medical conditions like depression, migraines and arthritis. If you are considering to try out acupuncture, it will be wise if you consult your doctor and he might help you out getting to a registered practitioner.

Bottom line

Dry needling and acupuncture are both good methods of relieving pain and you can go for any. If you are to go for dry needling make sure that you do your research properly because there is no way of identifying if a practitioner is qualified or not since there is no licensing for that. As for acupuncture, you can be sure to go for a registered practitioner.

*collaborative post

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