Acupuncture

Medical ACUPUNCTURE / Dry Needling

Western medical acupuncture or dry needling is a therapeutic modality involving the insertion of fine needles; it is an adaptation of Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, and the principles of evidence-based medicine. It acts mainly by stimulating the nervous system and is mainly used to treat musculoskeletal pain, including myofascial trigger point pain.

This service is not a standalone service but rather is part of a Physiotherapy or Osteopathy service

TIME TO UNDERSTAND YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

As highly trained healthcare professionals our therapists take the time to understand your individual history, circumstances and unique physiology so they can provide you with a personalised plan to get you as healthy as you can be.

Midtown Wellness team have the expertise and training to provide you with a thorough examination, taking the time to find out as much as they can about your current and past health history. They will also undertake physical examinations to ensure that they can provide the most suitable treatment plan, or if needed refer you to other healthcare professionals if required.

As trained allied healthcare professionals, we are experts in the musculoskeletal system – that is the muscles, joints and associated tissues and their relationship with other systems of the body.

We also work closely with other healthcare professionals such as consultants, GPs, nurses, podiatrists, personal trainers, psychologists, Psychotherapists and nutritionists to give you the best care possible.

You can see one of our Osteopaths for:

• Arthritic pain

• Circulatory problems

• Cramp

• Digestion problems Fibromyalgia

• Frozen shoulder/ shoulder and elbow pain/ tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences

• Headache arising from the neck (cervicogenic)

• Joint pains

• Joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis as an adjunct to core OA treatments and exercise

• General, acute & chronic backache, back pain (not arising from injury or accident)

• Generalised aches and pains

• Lumbago

• Migraine prevention

• Minor sports injuries

• Muscle spasms

• Neuralgia

• Tension and inability to relax

• Rheumatic pain

• Sciatica

Midtown Wellness team will take the time to understand your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle which in turn will help them make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your issue and formulate a treatment plan with you that will achieve the best outcome.

Your therapist will also need to undertake a physical examination which they will explain to you beforehand. This will often comprise of you undertaking some movements and for the osteopath to examine areas to feel for any tightness in the muscles and stiffness in the joints to identify problems.

Sometimes the cause of the problem may be in a different area to the pain, for example, pain in your lower arm may be linked to the nerves in your neck, so they may need to examine your whole body.

You may find that your therapist may undertake other examinations, such as blood pressure or nerve checks, or even refer you for other tests such as x-rays, MRIs or blood tests. Occasionally they may diagnose an issue that they are unable to treat and may refer you to your GP or another appropriate health professional.

As with any health consultation, they will record this confidential information to form part of your health record and store it in accordance with legal requirements for medical data.

Medical acupuncture and dry needling are both techniques that involve inserting thin needles into specific points on the body, but they are used for different purposes and have distinct underlying philosophies.

Medical Acupuncture

• Technique: Involves inserting very thin needles into specific acupuncture points. Treatment may involve stimulating these points to influence the flow of circulation and the nervous system.

• Applications: Used for a wide range of conditions, including pain management and stress relief. It is often used as a complementary therapy alongside osteopathy and physiotherapy.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a more recent technique based on Western medicine principles and is primarily used to address musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. It targets myofascial trigger points (muscle knots).

• Technique: Involves inserting needles into specific trigger points within muscles to release muscle tension and improve pain. The goal is to directly affect the neuromuscular system to relieve pain and improve function.

• Applications: Commonly used to treat conditions such as chronic pain, muscle stiffness, and joint dysfunction.

Both techniques can be effective for their respective indications, and your therapist will tailor your treatment according to your body's needs.

The number of sessions needed varies based on your condition and individual response. Our goal is to minimize appointments. After your initial assessment and diagnosis, your therapist will provide an estimate of the required treatments and discuss it with you.

Our Osteopaths may use dry needling alongside other techniques as needed. Dry needling targets tight muscle spots to help release them. Also known as Medical Acupuncture or Western Medical Acupuncture, this method uses fine needles and is based on modern anatomical and physiological knowledge. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture for chronic pain, tension headaches, and migraines.