Is Chronic Pain Reducing Quality Of Life? Here’s Something You Can Try
Do you, like me, wish to find natural and non-invasive solutions for medical issues you may have; particularly those aches and pains that manifest every so often? I recently came across a treatment modality known as Dry Needling, which is just such a non-surgical, non-pharmacological solution for chronic pain. Chad and I discuss this therapy, pioneered by the chiropractor David Fishkin, which works to resolve chronic pain.
What is peripheral nerve entrapment?
Turns out, if you have pain in the thigh or the calf, it isn’t necessary that the source of the pain is also the thigh on the calf. The source of the pain may originate somewhere and could be mirrored elsewhere. It could be something called peripheral nerve entrapment, which means that we feel pain at a location that may not be the source of that pain. The pain can originate in the soft tissue, muscles, tendons, fascia and the nerve tissue. The nerve getting compressed creates pain in the back or the calf or the gluteal muscles, but it may not necessarily originate there.
In the experience of David Fishkin, as he explained to me on my podcast, a lot of pain originates in the soft tissue and these tissues communicate with each other. So what may look like arthritis in an X-ray could actually resolve by treating the soft tissue with a needle. As Chad says, there could be a lot of reasons for so many people experiencing chronic and recurring pain. It could be an injury or it could be repetitive stress of the sort caused by long periods of sitting. Poor eating habits, a sedentary life and much else could create an inflammatory response that causes pain. Dry needling does not involve injecting any substance, but the manipulation of certain trigger points to relieve pain.
Difference between acupuncture and dry needling.
On the face of it, there are similarities between acupuncture and dry needling since both systems involve the insertion of needles without injecting anything into the body. However, acupuncture has specific points where needles are inserted and it follows the system of Chinese medicine. It is oriented towards overall health and wellness by facilitating the free flow of Qi in the body. On the other hand dry needling is practiced by some chiropractors and is based on the western system of medication. It is devised specifically to help relieve pain. Depending upon the source of pain, any trigger point can be targeted for insertion of needles, not just specific points.
David Fishkin told me that dry needling is not as painful as one would imagine. In fact he says, some of his patients doze off during treatment. If you would like to know more about this non-surgical and minimally invasive treatment for chronic pain, tune in to my discussion with Chad Lefevre.
