What is dry needling and how is it different from acupuncture? by Mary Ann Petersen, LAc

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Eugene AcupunctureBy Mary Ann Petersen, LAc

Dry needling is sometimes referred to as clinical or western acupuncture.

The desired outcome from dry needling sounds about the same as for acupuncture: pain reduction, healing, and the restoration of normal tissue function. Dry needling has a western backstory, and no Chinese medicine theory, but both practices use acupuncture needles and put them into the body to aid injury or pain.

Eugene acupuncturistAt Absolute Wellness Center, I apply acupuncture to treat many different types of patients for a wide range of conditions. Some patients are hoping for a generalized reduction in anxiety and chronic pain. Others have very specific goals from a reduction of pain in the back and/or pelvic floor, reducing the frequency and severity of headaches, or reducing pain in the extremities (e.g., a bad knee or frequent pain in the forearms).

We also see a lot of patients who have been referred to our practice because other treatments like medication or other therapies have not achieved the desired results. Other patients benefit from the addition of acupuncture to a treatment plan that includes other services so they achieve results faster or help maintain the results they have already achieved. Many high functioning people want to increase or maintain their performance athletically or in their daily lives.

Eugene acupuncturistThe Mayo clinic describes acupuncture as the insertion of needles “through your skin at strategic points on your body.” In my treatments, the needles are “dry” but I have a degree in Chinese medicine and I am comfortable calling it acupuncture.

Acupuncture and dry needling both use needles to address injury and restoration of function, but acupuncture stems from Chinese medicine theory and is performed by acupuncturists using a more whole-body approach, which has a slightly wider focus than just the point of injury. In contrast, dry needling is often performed by other types of medical specialists, especially in sports medicine.

 

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Absolute Wellness Center in Eugene, OR provides sports medicine, chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and more. To learn more about safe and effective treatment options for your pain or injury, or just to improve your health, please give us a call at 541-484-5777.