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0 pointsmordechai90004y ago0 comments

Modern, Western physical therapists are using something similar to acupuncture called dry needling. They did it for my wife's torn rotator cuff. They said it causes the muscle to return to a normal state, after it's been trying to compensate for the injury. Or at least that's the understanding she got from their explanation. Since they are still trying to treat the injury, I'm not sure causing the muscle to reset would be helpful.

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3 comments · 2 top-level

gonzo414y ago· 1 in thread

The main difference is that in the western use of needles they don't really follow paths on the body, you just work over an area to create the spasms that result in a knot loosening etc.

Broken_Hippo4y ago

But like acupuncture, there isn't proof for dry needling working better than a placebo. Studies that are there are, well, bad and looks to be on-par with a placebo. Which means that you get risks without medical benefit. Might as well get a massage, which won't involve someone putting needles in your skin.

blenderdt4y ago

As far as I know dry needling causes the muscles to contract. This squeezes the acids out of the muscles causing a better blood flow afterwards. So as far as I know this is almost the same as a massage but more localized.

But as with a massage, if the cause of the knot in the muscle it not taken away the effect will only be temporarily (couple of days maybe).

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