Dry Needling: An Option for Pain, Soreness, and Better Mobility at Any Age
For 57-year old Renee Hoke, Taylor Ridge, Ill, living her retirement dream in the country left no room for pain. “We moved from Bettendorf to Taylor Ridge to enjoy more land, woods, gardening, and quiet relaxation,” she says. Stabbing, excruciating heel pain was not in the plan. “I couldn’t walk my dog, hike, ride our motorcycles, or enjoy our large country garden.”
Renee suffers from Achilles insertional tendonitis in her left heel. The syndrome is caused by overuse and the gradual breakdown of the Achilles tendon, the cord-like structure that connects the calf to the heel. Insertional tendonitis affects the section of the tendon that actually attaches to the heel bone.
Under the care of ORA Orthopedics’ Podiatrist, Dr. Anthony Chesser, Renee wanted to try other treatments. “I didn’t want surgery, so both Dr. Chesser and my physical therapist recommended dry needling. I had never heard of it before. I was like, ‘What? You’re going to stick a needle in my leg?’” she laughs.
ORA Physical Therapist, Laura Irwin, is a certified dry needling specialist at ORA Physical Therapy. “Dry needling is not acupuncture. Acupuncture’s roots are in Chinese medicine that restores a body’s energy flow,” Laura explains. “Dry needling’s origins lie in Western medicine and is used to treat acute and chronic pain.
“We do use a similar needle but we target trigger points within muscle tissue that are knotted or tight and cause pain, tension, and reduced mobility. The therapy can be used for neck, back, and shoulder pain, as well as headaches, tennis elbow, foot and most joint pain elsewhere in the body.”
Laura performs the procedure by first positioning the patient based on what body part will be treated. “I massage the area first to desensitize the skin and muscle, then palpate to localize a trigger point. I take a thin, small, and hollow needle and penetrate the skin. I start just below the surface, then go deeper into the muscle. I move the needle up and down (similar to a piston motion) which stimulates a localized twitch response. It’s that response that has an analgesic effect and gets the tight muscle to relax.
“Patients say they don’t feel the prick, but they can feel the muscle twitch and relax. Some feel immediate relief after one or two sessions, but depending on the severity, it can take more sessions. It’s not a sole treatment method, but we incorporate exercise, stretching, manual interventions along with it.”
Renee says her therapy is making progress and the procedure doesn’t hurt at all. “She massages my calf to find the sore spots. Then, she inserts 12 needles up and down the back of my calves, six needles down the outside and six along the inside. I feel just a little sensation in my toes as my muscles contract. It’s not painful at all, it’s a very strange unique feeling.
“After the first visit, I walked out with no pain in that heel. A couple of days later it came back, so we’re working to extend the relaxation of the muscles. It’s an ongoing process.”
Before treatment, Laura says patients are evaluated for the reason or origin of their pain to rule out other possibilities such muscle tears or serious injury. She says dry needling can also be used in post-surgical recovery for pain management.
Renee is hopeful the treatment will lead to a retirement free of heel pain, and Laura is proud of her patient’s persistence. “She’s a trooper, for sure. It’s another tool in the toolbox in our arsenal to get patients back to their lifestyles.”
ORA Physical Therapy has 11 certified dry needling specialists on staff at its Bettendorf, Davenport, Clinton, and Moline clinics. Contact us today if you would like to learn more about dry needling or schedule your next appointment.
