Western acupuncture utilizes meridian points with western scientific reasoning with particular consideration to neurophysiology and anatomy, to achieve pain relief via the stimulation of the nervous system, such as the brain and spinal cord to produce the body’s own pain relieving neuro-chemicals, such as endorphins for pain relief; melatonin to promote sleep and serotonin to promote well being. The practitioner uses their anatomical knowledge of the body to select acupuncture points that stimulate nerve endings which will help to relieve pain and promote healing.
Dry Needling: Rapid short term needling to altered or dysfunctional tissues in order to improve or restore function. This may include (but is not limited to) needling of myofascial trigger points, periosteum and connective tissues.
When physiotherapists in New Zealand use Dry Needling, a single use, sterilised, disposable acupuncture needle is placed into the trigger point in the affected muscle until a twitch is felt in the muscle, aiming to reproduce the patient’s symptoms. More than one trigger point may be needled in a session and the needles are generally not left in place. As this is a very strong stimulation of the nerve endings, the patient will usually feel a very strong aching sensation and may also feel the twitch response as the trigger point is needled during the treatment. There will sometimes cause post-treatment aching which can continue up to 48 hours after treatment.