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Prairie du Chien, WI – A new and innovative pain management technique is now available at Crossing Rivers Health. Dry needling uses a “dry” filament needle, meaning one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle to treat trigger points which are creating pain and discomfort.

“The muscle trigger points - which are located throughout the human body - play a role in producing and sustaining feelings of pain and discomfort,” explained Angie Kramer, Crossing Rivers Health Physical Therapist.

Kramer has completed training and received certification to provide this service at Crossing Rivers Health.

Trigger points develop in muscle for various reasons including pain, inflammation, tissue injury or other causes. Inserting a needle into trigger points can release or deactivate trigger points, which assist in reducing pain. Using this therapeutic technique, elicits the so-called local twitch responses, which are spinal cord reflexes. Local twitch responses with trigger point dry needling is the first step in breaking the pain cycle.

Kramer added, “Most patients do not feel the insertion of the needle. The local twitch response elicits a very brief response that is usually less than a second. Some patients describe this as a little electric shock; others feel it more like a cramping sensation. The local twitch is a therapeutic response which is a good and desirable reaction.”

Dry needling can be a treatment option for neck, back, shoulder, and arm pain from conditions such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, or golfer’s elbow; headaches including migraines and tension-type headaches; and buttock and leg pain from sciatica, hamstring strains, and calf tightness/spasms.

“Dry needling is most effective when it is part of a larger treatment plan. I encourage you to talk with your provider about this pain treatment option and contact me to learn more about including dry needling into your pain management plan,” Kramer added.

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