Alternative forms of medicine may offer pain relief
The use of physical modalities and techniques to relieve pain is growing in popularity. For many, alternative forms of medicine like dry needling and acupuncture offer relief not found elsewhere.
“Family medicine sees so many things,” Dr. Janine Rihmland, the director and owner of The Health Center for Integrated Medicine in Washington, said. “My patients come to me first, so I decided I needed to add more tools to my toolbox. Acupuncture helps me to help my patients outside of offering prescription medicine.”
While dry needling and acupuncture involve puncturing the skin with thin needles for therapeutic purposes, the practices differ.
According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body. A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain but is now being increasingly used for overall wellness.
Rihmland said the technique balances the flow of energy – known as chi or qi – that is believed to flow through pathways or meridians in the body. Thin, sterile needles are placed in the skin and allowed to “settle.”
“It stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals,” Rihmland, who is also a licensed and board-certified acupuncturist and has been practicing the technique for a decade, said. “It interrupts holding patterns of pain. I don’t dismiss regular medicine. Instead, I try to incorporate acupuncture when I can.”
Acupuncture is used mainly to relieve pain and discomfort from various diseases and conditions, including chemotherapy-induced and postoperative nausea and vomiting, dental pain, headaches, low back pain and osteoarthritis. Rihmland said it can also be used to treat chronic allergies and asthma and provide an energy boost.
“I see several patients just for routine care,” she said. “It can keep people off medications. It’s really very exciting.”
As with any modality, results and the number of treatments can vary. In general, Rihmland said her patients often seek out acupuncture, but she will suggest it if she thinks it can help.
“I always ask my patients if they are OK with needles,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt too much, not like getting blood drawn. And it’s not like dry needling. I’m not breaking the skin. But if you have a phobia of needles, it may not be right for you.”
Dr. Mason Tupta, owner of Direct Physio Therapy Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Castle Shannon, said acupuncture has “its place in medicine.”
“It’s just as good as dry needling. It’s just different,” he said.
In dry needling, a thin monofilament needle penetrates the skin and treats underlying muscular trigger points to manage neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“The needle goes deep into the muscle and bone. It’s a quick treatment. The needle is pistoning in and out,” Tupta, who is certified in dry needling and trigger point therapy, said. “There’s limited pain, and it has limited side effects.”
Tupta said trigger points are “tight bands of muscle that can’t release.”
“It’s really just a fancy word for a knot,” he said. “You’re looking for a twitch response. When the needle hits a trigger point, the muscle twitches.”
From there, the needle is moved along the muscle, increasing the blood flow and oxygen to the area and decreasing the trigger point.
“You could have a trigger point in your upper neck and experience tingling in your fingers,” Tupta said. “With dry needling, symptoms can go away immediately. It’s good for chronic and acute pain.”
On average, Tupta said it takes between six and 10 treatments for patients to find relief.
“I’ve never had someone have a bad experience,” he said of dry needling. “I’ve never had someone say it was too painful to continue and that they didn’t want to do it again.”
Tupta said dry needling has been used to offer relief for fibromyalgia, a?disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, as well as headaches, joint problems, plantar fasciitis and tendonitis.
“Dry needling can subdue the pain they feel,” he said. “If it’s something to do with muscular issues, we can usually treat it.”
Dry needling, like acupuncture, can also go hand-in-hand with other therapies and modalities. While popular, a limited number of certified professionals offer acupuncture and dry needling in the Pittsburgh region. That’s why both Tupta and Rihmland said it’s crucial to find a certified professional to perform the treatment.
“Both have their place, and both are helpful to people,” Rihmland said. “Do your research. Make sure you understand the process and that the person you are going to has the proper credentials. And don’t bypass being seen by a medical professional. Make sure your issue has been looked at before moving onto a complementary modality.”