Acupuncture

What sort of acupuncture is available?

At our Dorchester and Blandford clinics we use a form of acupuncture to help with a wide variety of aches and pains.

The term dry needling is used to differentiate this in a western sense from the use of needles in an oriental sense, which is referred to as acupuncture.

Both forms of acupuncture are performed using the same type of sterile, disposable needles. These needles are much finer than those normally used in injections, and are not generally painful. A tingling sensation or a mild ache in the area around the needle may be felt when the needle is stimulated.

When you insert needles into acupuncture points, in tight and shortened muscles, it can help stimulate nerves, muscles, and tissue in your body causing relaxation and lengthening of the muscle.

This stimulation then encourages the body to release certain beneficial chemicals, such as endorphins and serotonin. These are your body’s own natural painkillers and can also effect your mood and emotions which can provide pain relief.

There is growing scientific evidence to show that needling is effective for headaches, arthritis and a leading research body has published findings here concluding that "dry-needling appears to be a useful adjunct to other therapies for chronic low-back pain".

Dry needling is utilised in this clinic as an addition to chiropractic treatment. We do not use it with every patient, but your chiropractor will explain if they feel it is appropriate for your condition and will always be able to able to answer any queries you have about this form of treatment.