Dry Needling
a small but powerful tool​
What is it?
Dry needling describes the use of monofilament acupuncture needles to treat a variety of pain and/or musculoskeletal conditions in the horse and human!
In certain cases, electrical stimulation can be added to the needles to enhance therapeutic effects.
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Did you know that needles can have a huge list of measurable neuro-physiological effects on the body? Read more below.​
How does it work?
A tool with hundreds of years of history and a LOT of science.
Acupuncture needles with and without electrical stimulation have local mechanical effects, peripheral nervous system effects, and central nervous system effects:
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Decreases Pain:
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Triggers our built in opioid-based pain relief, which is mediated by endogenous cannabinoids and the sympathetic nervous system
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Triggers our non-opioid pain relief via serotonin and norepinephrine from the brain stem.
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Influences Dopamine
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Reduces Inflammation:
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Triggers the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis centrally and the corticotropin releasing hormone-proopiomelanocortin-corticosteroid axis locally to inhibit cox-2, reducing inflammatory cytokines.
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Increases anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 in humans
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N inhibits ERK1/2 kinase pathways of inflammation
Improves Tissue Healing:
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Cell generation
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Angiogenesis
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Tissue granulation
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Fibroblast proliferation
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Reorganizes collagen on a molecular level
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Decreases Muscle Spasm:
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Decreases alpha motor neurons excitability
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Clears Ach from the neuromuscular junction
Increases stem cell production:
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Electrical stimulation of specific points (in humans & horses!) has been found to produce a significant increase in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the bloodstream
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Mesenchymal stem cells make and repairing skeletal tissues, such as cartilage, bone!
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You don’t have to just pick treatments based on what's trendy or popular. We are fortunate to live in a time where we are able to measure and quantify the healing properties of a lot of treatments and modalities. I believe that there are some treatments with less ‘research’ that still benefit people and horses… but the use of acupuncture needles happens to be a treatment with a LOT of research and measurable effects. Pretty cool stuff!
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1. Peripheral and Spinal Mechanisms
2. Tissue healing and inflammation
3. Stem cells
Does it hurt?
It doesn't have to hurt
Acupuncture needles are a very small gauge. You could fit 7-10 acupuncture needles inside of a typically hypodermic needle that would be used for procedures like vaccinations or blood draws!
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That being said the way in which the needle is manually manipulated can influence the amount of discomfort.
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Many people who have had a bad experience with dry needling (DN) have received something called 'trigger point dry needling.' This approach typically involves inserting the needle in to a trigger point and repeatedly pistoning the needle in an attempt to elicit an involuntary twitch response. While this can be effective in reducing areas of tension in the muscle, it's generally quite unpleasant and often causes days of residual soreness. Some patients love this technique and it is an option if it serves you well!
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I use a more gentle approach and find that it achieves excellent results with fewer side effects and is more comfortable for the patient. Depending on the goal of the treatment, needles may be very superficially placed with very little manual manipulation. In other cases, needles may reach deeper muscular structures or benefit from more manual manipulation.
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We'll explore what your body and mind can tolerate and use a gradual exposure approach to avoid unnecessary discomfort and stress. I never peer pressure clients in to a treatment they aren't comfortable with!
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As for the horses-many of them also enjoy it quite a bit! Some horses are more fearful and since we don't have the benefit of being able to 'explain' the treatment to them, some appreciate light sedation to get the best benefit (under the approval and recommendation of your veterinarian).
