Some athletes win the Super Bowl. A few set Olympic records. Many more just like to go jogging with their dogs, and have no intention of impressing anyone in the process (except maybe their dogs). These athletes share one big thing in common: They can all benefit from dry needling.
It’s not acupuncture. Also known as intramuscular needling, dry needling involves methodically piercing muscle knots (i.e. trigger points) with the tip of a fine metal filament. The treatment creates microlesions that restore shortened muscle tissues to their original length, normalize the body’s inflammatory response, and greatly reduce overall pain.
Based on that brief description, it’s easy to appreciate why the Minnesota Vikings keeps multiple trainers who are experienced in dry needling on their roster.
Let’s take a closer look at the major ways dry needling can help any athlete – regardless of whether they’re recovering from an injury or already perfectly healthy.
Pain Relief
After screening over 200 academic articles on dry needling, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy researchers revealed real evidence that dry needling may decrease pain, as well as increase pressure pain threshold.
If you are currently experiencing musculoskeletal pain, for any reason, then dry needling can quickly eliminate the trigger points that are causing tension. And if you are an endurance athlete, or train often, then dry needling can help you focus on the game instead of your sore muscles.
Accelerated Recovery
Taut muscle bands receive restricted blood flow, and can restrict blood flow to surrounding muscle tissues as well. Dry needling is known to increase vasodilation, thus enabling blood vessels to supply more … well, blood to the tissues that need it most.
Improved blood flow helps your body deliver more of its natural healing proteins, hormones, and other substances to injured areas. That means dry needling doesn’t just have the potential to accelerate recovery from injury. It can also help muscles remain healthier, so they’re at less risk becoming injured in the first place.
Improved Performance
If you’re trying to access more of your athletic potential, then dry needling could help you improve your flexibility and your power at the same time. Dry needling has been shown to increase range of motion in athletes, as well as increase their strength. Those are two out of the five elements of fitness, right there!
Dry Needling Complements Sports Chiropractic
Dry needling may be performed on its own. It may also be incorporated into a comprehensive, multifaceted course of chiropractic care that is tailored to meet any athlete’s unique needs. If you are attempting to regain your full athletic abilities after an injury – or simply seek to give yourself every advantage on the track or field – then combining dry needling with other treatments can help you meet your goals faster and more comfortably.
If you would like to make all of dry needling’s benefits for athletes your own, then we encourage you to contact our clinic in Fargo, ND today to schedule a consultation with one of our chiropractors!