wambam - neck question

[tacosforlife]

wambam, you said that dry needling gave you relief from neck pain, right? Can you tell me more about it?

PT has significantly improved my neck pain. I've worked on my ergonomics, and we have a good plan to strengthen my front neck muscles and prevent recurrence. But my right levator is a total jerk and continues to battle me. Last week's massage at PT actually elicited a few tears. My PT mentioned some people have found relief from dry needling, but I know nothing about it.

I'm just tired of the pain. Basically the only time I'm not in pain is when I'm drunk. And really, I think I'm still in pain then but just don't care. :/

[wambam]

Dry needling was magic for me. Basically, they just insert small needles to directly stimulate the muscle. It feels like the most intense spasm of the muscle and then just relaxing. It is VERY sore and tender the first day and then it feels loose and amazing. I had to have 5 treatments to get to all the areas that were tight and I had a follow up treatment a few weeks ago because I got all tight again.

[tacosforlife]

Nov 23, 2015 11:08:12 GMT -5 wambam said:

Dry needling was magic for me. Basically, they just insert small needles to directly stimulate the muscle. It feels like the most intense spasm of the muscle and then just relaxing. It is VERY sore and tender the first day and then it feels loose and amazing. I had to have 5 treatments to get to all the areas that were tight and I had a follow up treatment a few weeks ago because I got all tight again.

Who does this?

I admit that I'm skeptical because it sounds kind of like acupuncture/chiropractic/woo to me.

But I guess I should give it a try. I've probably spent $500 on massages and PT so far, and levator is still just being a jerk.

[wambam]

Nov 23, 2015 11:34:45 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Nov 23, 2015 11:08:12 GMT -5 wambam said:

Dry needling was magic for me. Basically, they just insert small needles to directly stimulate the muscle. It feels like the most intense spasm of the muscle and then just relaxing. It is VERY sore and tender the first day and then it feels loose and amazing. I had to have 5 treatments to get to all the areas that were tight and I had a follow up treatment a few weeks ago because I got all tight again.

Who does this?

I admit that I'm skeptical because it sounds kind of like acupuncture/chiropractic/woo to me.

But I guess I should give it a try. I've probably spent $500 on massages and PT so far, and levator is still just being a jerk.

My PT did it for me.

I understand your skepticism, but it was immediate relief for me. There was no woo about it. It was like "HOLY CRAP THAT HUR...oh wait, my rock hard trap just relaxed for the first time since I left the womb"

[tacosforlife]

Thanks. I'll ask if he does it today. I mean, I don't mind going to physical therapy because my therapist is adorable and charming and smells incredible.

BUT it would also be nice to free up the time and money and to actually be pain-free.

[lb2006]

Nov 23, 2015 11:40:19 GMT -5 wambam said:

Nov 23, 2015 11:34:45 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Who does this?

I admit that I'm skeptical because it sounds kind of like acupuncture/chiropractic/woo to me.

But I guess I should give it a try. I've probably spent $500 on massages and PT so far, and levator is still just being a jerk.

My PT did it for me.

I understand your skepticism, but it was immediate relief for me. There was no woo about it. It was like "HOLY CRAP THAT HUR...oh wait, my rock hard trap just relaxed for the first time since I left the womb"

my PT is doing this for my piriformis and it is really helping.  I was skeptical at first, but then my sister is an attorney & said they are representing the PT professional org in our state vs acupuncturists.  Acupuncturists feel PT are taking away business, but really dry needling is inserting the needle directly into the trigger point to "reset" the muscle, increase blood flow & generally (in my case) get the muscle to "give up" and hopefully go back to functioning normally.  Very different than acupuncture, where the focus is energy.  I'm going for my 3rd treatment this week.  I'd give it a try

[SallyJ]

I'm going to recommend something that may or may not help your issue since I don't know if you can do this for the areas of your problem. I just know you have had local pain for awhile and very, very stiff/tight muscles, so maybe?

The basic idea is that soreness in any part of your body is likely related to tight fascia. External methods of moving the fascia (i.e. PT, massages) only provide temporary relief, but getting the fascia to move on it's own is where the real solution is. Perhaps this shoulder release will help? Or maybe you contact her? She is great about responding to comments on the posts and she does skype sessions.
mobilitymastery.com/how-to-relieve-pain-between-the-shoulder-blades/

[emilyinchile]

I have a very similar issue to you and wambam, and my PT friend dry needling my trap was pretty much as wambam describes it. Moments of nothing followed by moments of sharp pain followed by my arm felt like it was just floating because the muscle wasn't hanging onto it for dear life. I was actually not sore at all the next day, which surprised me because the same PT had previously needled my calf for my knee problems, and that was very sore and stiff for the rest of that day and the next.

I've done acupuncture before, for other issues, and they're the same needles but totally different treatments.

[pixy0stix]

My coworker had a shoulder issue where the PT dry needled her. She said it really helped. I figure it had to be doing something to her, because she bruised where the needles went in.

[tacosforlife]

Nov 23, 2015 13:39:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

My coworker had a shoulder issue where the PT dry needled her. She said it really helped. I figure it had to be doing something to her, because she bruised where the needles went in.

Oh goody! I will almost certainly bruise then. I am the bruisiest motherfucker who ever bruised. I even got ass bruises from a massage one time.

[wambam]

Nov 23, 2015 13:46:42 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Nov 23, 2015 13:39:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

My coworker had a shoulder issue where the PT dry needled her. She said it really helped. I figure it had to be doing something to her, because she bruised where the needles went in.

Oh goody! I will almost certainly bruise then. I am the bruisiest motherfucker who ever bruised. I even got ass bruises from a massage one time.

I bruise like crazy normally but not with dry needling. YMMV