Needling Therapy at
[PRACTICE NAME]

Dry Needling Therapy and Electrotherapy are now offered at West Perth Osteopathy, used in conjunction with Osteopathic treatment to optimise treatment.
But what exactly are they, and how can they help you?
Dr Allison Smith explains.

Dry Needling Therapy (DNT) is used to strengthen tendons and ligaments, de-activate trigger points, and stimulate growth and blood factors to stimulate healing. Chronic muscle tension and spasm can cause reduced oxygen and other nutrient supply, resulting in tight, aching muscles.

By inserting an acupuncture needle into a tight muscle, it activates the mechanism of injury and, in turn, produces healing factors. Research proposes that needle stimulation travels via nociceptive (pain) fibres in muscles, and inhibits painful impulses from being registered by the brain. Endorphins (feel good chemicals) are released, and block pain messages from the spinal cord – just one of the reasons Dr Allison and Sarahjane use Needling in conjunction with Osteopathy here at the clinic!

Electrotherapy (EA) is the application of electrical stimulation via a needle attached to an electrical device, through different parameters such as pulse length, frequency, and intensity. These parameters can be adjusted person to person so as to be as comfortable as possible while achieving great results that can be more rapid, and last for longer.

The feeling of electrotherapy is a tingling sensation or a gentle fluttering, sometimes accompanied by muscle movements. Electrotherapy is highly indicated for acute conditions such as low back pain, sciatic type symptoms, and tennis elbow. However, some drugs such as morphine, codeine, and corticosteroids reduce effectiveness… and this also includes caffeine! So leave your coffee for another day and call the clinic to make an electrotherapy appointment with Dr Allison – be sure to request an EA appointment when booking.