Dry Needling and Sinus Problems -

Dry Needling

Spring is wonderful but allergy season is not. In fact, it always frustrates me that the most beautiful time of the year is when I feel the worst.

This year I didn’t even wait until spring before I started having trouble. If you have grandchildren and you are with them a lot you know that love isn’t the only thing they share. Several of mine have had a cold or virus that involved lots of head congestion. This week I felt terrible and my sinuses felt full and painful so I decided to try something a friend told me about; dry needling.

The chiropractor in our town, Dr. Kelly McMurtrey, has been helping people with this procedure for over a year. I asked her some questions and I’ll share her answers with you here.

Me – What is the difference between dry needling and acupuncture?

Dr. Kelly – “Acupuncture is an ancient system of healing with its own laws and philosophy. It uses theories of meridians to locate pulse points to determine where to place needles. Dry needling is based on a western understanding of anatomy, neurology and physiology to determine where to place the needles.

Me – Why is it called “dry” needling?

Dr. Kelly – “Because you aren’t injecting medicine. You are just using needles.

Me – What do the needles actually do?

Dr. Kelly – “The needle itself acts to physically disrupt the tension and pressure within the tissue. Less tension means that the tissue can return to an improved level of function.”

Me – Where have you done the most dry needling on your patients?

Dr. Kelly – “Probably knees and lower back.”

So far Dr. Kelly has had an amazing success rate with dry needling. I went twice for my sinuses. After the first day I felt better within 24 hours. The second time even though I felt much better I went just to make sure it was totally cleared up. When spring comes and I have problems with my sinuses again I plan on going back.

For people who have a needle phobia I know looking at photos of someone with needles in their face may be painful but I promise, it doesn’t hurt. It’s just a little prick and the result is well worth it.

To learn more about dry needling and acupuncture you can click here.