Dry needling uses slim needles to hit tight muscles and cut pain from arthritis. It works well for easing muscle tightness, making joints move better, and less swelling. Not like acupuncture, which aims at body energy paths, dry needling goes right at muscle issues that boost arthritis pain.
Main Gains of Dry Needling for Arthritis:
- Pain Cut: Lowers tightness and ache by arthritic joints.
- Better Movement: Aids muscles calm down, lowers joint stress, and ups movement.
- More Blood Flow: Boosts healing and cuts swelling near hurt spots.
- Fast Effects: Many say they feel better right after the care.
Dry needling is often used with other fixes like workouts or bone care for top results. Spots in Oklahoma City, like Portland Chiropractic Group, give plans starting at $65 per time, with deals on many buys.
If you face arthritis and need help, adding dry needling might help your care plan.
Dry Needling For Knee Arthritis
What Is Dry Needling and How Does It Help?
Dry needling uses small, clean needles for poking into muscle knots without putting any drug in. It is not like ways that treat the joints, this method goes right for the muscle troubles that make joint pain from arthritis worse. The word "dry" means that nothing is put into your body when they do it.
This way tries to fix muscle trigger points – those tight spots in muscles that show up near joints with arthritis. These spots grow as muscles work to deal with not so strong joints. As time goes on, this muscle strain can make joint pain and tightness worse.
How Dry Needling Acts
When a needle goes into a trigger point, it makes a quick twitch in the muscle – a short squeeze that shows the fix is on track. Even if this may bring a small hurt, it’s a clue that the muscle is on alert.
"We target tender tight spots within the muscle that aren’t moving as well as they could be, using the needle to go in deeper and affect that tissue. I almost visualize the needle as an extension of my hands, letting me get to these deeper muscles that I can’t reach through soft tissue techniques like massage." – Adam Kimberly, PT, DPT, OCS, Clinical Rehabilitation Manager [1]
Putting the needle in boosts blood flow, sets off endorphins, and resets muscle fibers that are stuck and hurt. For those with arthritis, this "reset" really helps. When muscles relax, they put less stress on the joint, often making the pain less and letting people move better in daily life. A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy showed that dry needling cut down pain and made movement better for people with knee arthritis.
The method also makes small, controlled injuries in the muscle. This small harm starts the body’s own fix work, clears scar tissue, and makes the muscle work better. This process is a big part of why dry needling is good at easing muscle tightness from arthritis pain.
Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture
Though dry needling and acupuncture may look the same at first, they come from different health views and have different aims.
Dry needling is based on Western medicine, and deals with muscle and tissue problems. Those who do it use their knowledge of body parts to find and work on key muscle spots. The aim is to ease muscle stress, cut down pain, and make movement easier.
Acupuncture comes from ancient Chinese medicine, around since about 100 BCE. It tries to fix the body’s energy (Qi or chi) by using needles on specific energy paths called meridians. Acupuncture reaches beyond muscle issues, aiming to better overall health and other body systems too.
"Dry needling approaches pain relief from a myofascial standpoint, directly addressing the muscles and connective tissue, whereas acupuncture is more focused on realigning energy and stimulating your body’s natural ability to heal." – Adam Kimberly, PT, DPT, OCS, Clinical Rehabilitation Manager [1]
Needle use also shows a key split. Dry needling folks push needles right into tight spots they find in muscles, while acupuncturists set needles on certain lines, which might or might not hit pain spots.
For arthritis, dry needling’s sharp aim at muscle tightness often gives more sharp help. Arthritis pain often links to muscle stiff and extra strain near hurt joints, so taking these head-on can make big changes.
The training for each practice is different too. Licensed acupuncturists go through long training and get national okays. Physical therapists and others doing dry needling need their own okays, but what they need can change from place to place.
A 2023 big study found dry needling much better at handling bone and muscle pain than doing nothing or fake treatments. For people with arthritis, mainly in Oklahoma City, this way backed by strong facts helps well with muscle pain linked to joint issues.
How Dry Needling Eases Pain in Arthritis
Dry needling deals with main things that add to pain and tightness from arthritis. This method can make people with arthritis feel less pain and move better.
Less Pain and Softer Muscles
Arthritis often makes joints hurt. This pain makes the close muscles tight and form sore spots. Dry needling goes right at these sore spots by putting small needles into these places. This makes the muscle twitch, which can make muscle threads ease up, making less tightness and pain.
"When dry needling is applied to an affected muscle or trigger point, it can decrease muscle tightness, increase blood flow and reduce pain. Patients often report immediate relief after treatment." – Mayo Clinic Health System [2]
Also, when the needle goes in, it makes the body’s nerve system let out pain-easing stuff like endorphins. This gives a calm, pain-killing effect. Studies show that this method can cut pain and make knee movement better for those with knee osteoarthritis. The same good results have been seen in people with shoulder pain from rheumatoid arthritis.
This quick pain relief sets the base for better blood flow and more movement.
Better Blood Flow and Less Swelling
Once pain drops, better blood flow is key for healing. Dry needling makes small blood tubes wide to boost flow. This higher blood flow takes oxygen and food to the hurt muscles while taking away waste that adds to pain.
"Dry Needling can relieve the symptoms of Arthritis for patients as it increases blood circulation around any affected joints. The needles used in the treatment are inserted in or around trigger points to alleviate pain, allowing muscles to relax and function normally." – Breeze Academy [5]
The small, slight cuts from the needles set off the body’s own fix ways. This can cut down on long-term swelling. This is extra good for things like rheumatoid arthritis, where swelling does a lot of harm to the joints.
"Dry needling can release pain, ease acute inflammation and promote healing in your body." – Kylie Scott, Physical Therapist, HonorHealth Spine Group Arizona [6]
Better Joint Movement and Daily Life
Joints with arthritis often have hard moves due to tight, sore muscles around them. Dry needling can fix normal muscle work, which then makes joint moves easier. With less muscle tightness, joints feel less stress, making moves smoother and more comfy.
In one test, people with knee pain felt less hurt, moved better, kept balance easier, and did more after three times of work on hip and knee muscles [3]. These changes help a more normal walk and make day-to-day tasks – like going up stairs or standing from a chair – easier.
Keeping muscles well and cutting ongoing swelling, dry needling might also slow down how fast arthritis moves, letting people be more on their own and moving for more time [4].
For the best end, dry needling does good when used with other body care and full health help.
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Dry Needling Services in Oklahoma City
If you live in Oklahoma City and need help with arthritis through dry needling, many clinics are ready to help. A top choice is Portland Chiropractic Group. Here, they mix chiropractic methods, like dry needling, to ease pain and make moving easier.
Skilled Workers and Made-to-Fit Care Plans
Dr. Brett Weaver and his team offer custom care for arthritis, knowing everyone’s needs differ. They talk with you deeply to learn about your pain, find the target joints, and understand how arthritis affects your day. This careful talk helps them choose the right spots for the needles and set the number of treatments you need.
To help lessen pain more, Portland Chiropractic Group sometimes uses dry needling with other ways like bone adjustments or the Graston way. You can find them at 5416 N Portland Ave, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112. Their space is open and comfy, which helps keep you relaxed while getting treated.
They also have different pay plans, making it easy for more people to afford the help they need.
Costs of Treatment and Package Choices
Dry needling prices in Oklahoma City often range from $40 to $100+ each time. At Portland Chiropractic Group, each time costs about $65 to $70. If you need more sessions, they also have deal packages to save you some money.
| Number of Times | Full Price | Price Each Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Times | $204 | $51 |
| 8 Times | $408 | $51 |
| 12 Times | $612 | $51 |
| 20 Times | $840 | $42 |
These packs, good for one year after you buy them, offer easy ways to save on long care plans. Many with arthritis see that sticking to many sessions gives stable results, and these choices help them handle the costs of long-term care well.
Staying Safe and What Will Happen When You Get Treated
How We Keep You Safe and Comfy
At Portland Chiropractic Group, safety is our main goal. Dr. Jan Dommerholt says it like this:
"Safety first became my motto!" [7]
The clinic has strong safety rules to make sure you are safe and feel good. All workers wear gloves and use new, clean needles that they throw away right after use. They clean and make the area where you’ll get needles very clean too.
Your first time there will take about 45–60 minutes. This includes talking to the expert. The times after that are shorter, about 20–30 minutes. The needles might be in your skin for a few seconds if the pain is small, or up to 10–15 minutes for worse pain.
While the needles are in, you might feel your muscles hurt or twitch. This is normal and means it is working. Some people (1–3%), might feel tired or dizzy after. You might also get some bruising, a little bleeding, or feel very tired. Big problems are very rare, less than 0.1% have them. Studies show the risk of big issues is very low, under 0.04%. These steps make sure it’s safe and works well for you.
Treatment Limits and Results
Though keeping you safe is key, how well the treatment works can differ. Some might feel better right away, others might need more visits to get better. How bad your arthritis is, how long you have had it, and how your body deals with the treatment all matter.
Before you start, talk about your health history with the expert. If you have a bleeding problem, a weak immune system, or if you are pregnant, this treatment might not be right for you. If needles scare you (like 10% of people), tell your expert so they can help you feel better.
Needling works best with other care like exercise and stretching. At Portland Chiropractic Group, it’s often used with other ways to help with arthritis pain.
After your visit, drink water and move around a bit to help get better faster and make the most of the treatment. If you bleed where the needles were, press on it and tell your expert. If breathing gets hard, get help right away.
Should You Try Dry Needling for Your Arthritis?
Dry needling may ease the pain of arthritis in some, but it’s not a fix for all. Whether it works for you hangs on your special health needs and your full care plan. New studies show both its good points and its limits.
The show-points show that dry needling might do well for those with hip and knee arthritis. For example, a study with 38 folk with hip arthritis saw that those who got dry needling got better in how well their muscles worked, hurt less, felt less stiff, and moved better in day-to-day life, with big effects seen (d > 0.8) [9]. Jeffrey Petersen, PT, MOMT, from Petersen Physical Therapy, speaks to its perks:
"Dry needling offers effective pain relief and improved mobility by targeting trigger points and promoting muscle relaxation. However, it can sometimes cause discomfort during treatment and carries a small risk of bruising or bleeding at the insertion sites." [8]
Your health past is key to look at. If you face issues like easy bleeding or a weak body defense, dry needling may not be a good pick. The kind and level of your arthritis also count. Dry needling works best for short pain help in hip and knee cases, more so when put with work-out routines.
It’s key to think real about what to expect. While 97% of folks feel a bit of pain after the go, big bad things hardly ever happen, seen in less than 0.1% of cases.
If you think about trying dry needling, a talk just for you can show if it fits your arthritis care needs. At Portland Chiropractic Group, pros give talks aimed at your own needs. Go to their place at 5416 N Portland Ave or call (405) 724-8980 to talk about your arthritis pain and see if dry needling could help your care plan.
FAQs
How does dry needling ease pain and tightness in muscles from arthritis?
Dry needling helps with muscle pain and tightness from arthritis by targeting key trigger points in sore muscles. In this method, thin needles go into these spots. This helps let go of tightness, boosts blood flow, and cuts down on pain. It makes the muscles relax, eases tightness, and helps you to move better.
Not just about easing muscle tightness, dry needling may also cut down on swelling near the joints – a big worry for those with arthritis. By improving blood move and dealing with stiff muscles, this method helps the joints work better and can make everyday things feel less sore.
How does dry needling stack up against other arthritis fixes, and can it be used with them?
Dry needling is often added to other arthritis care like physical therapy, working out, and drugs. It targets muscle tight spots and trigger points to help ease pain and up mobility, making it a key part of a full plan to handle arthritis.
When used with other methods, dry needling might lead to more relief from pain and better joint work. Though it’s not often used alone, it has a key place in a wide plan to tackle arthritis signs. Always check with your health doc to find what mix of care is best for you.
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