Mention needles and many people run for the hills. However, the insertion of needles into the body for pain relief, healing and even just for general wellbeing is a technique more than 3,000 years old, originating in China. Sticking needles into your skin might not sound like a good way to feel better, but that’s exactly how acupuncture works. People usually feel relaxed after receiving acupuncture treatment, and some say they feel more energised.
While acupuncture is perceived as ‘alternative’ medicine, it is commonly used by trained physiotherapists in New Zealand for a wide range of conditions. It is accepted around the globe as a safe, effective, and holistic alternative or complement to modern conventional medicine. At Body Mechanics Whakatāne, we believe in exploring every possible way to reduce your pain and increase your mobility.
So if running for the hills has become a problem with your sore knees or a sports injury, ask us about the benefits of using needles as part of your therapy. We are lucky to have the wonderful Soki Yamamoto in our team, who is trained in traditional Chinese acupuncture. Our clinic is ACC-registered for acupuncture therapy, and Soki is fully qualified and registered with Acupuncture NZ and ACC.
The question physiotherapists often get asked is what the difference between acupuncture and dry needling is. There is a common misconception that they are the same thing. Yes, needles are used in both techniques, but in fact they are quite different.
What is acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese acupuncture which involves the insertion of fine solid needles into any part of the body is based on the Chinese philosophy that to keep the body healthy, you need to balance the two forces of YIN (negative energy) and YANG (positive energy). Acupuncture helps restore balance to the body which means the body’s life force (Qi) flows freely and keeps the body healthy.
Many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. Here in New Zealand, acupuncture takes more of a scientific medical approach that focuses on the anatomy of the body rather than the concept of energies.
In a nutshell, Acupuncture is used by physiotherapists to achieve pain relief via the stimulation of the nervous system, that is the nerves around tissues. Stimulating nerves around a tissue helps produce the body’s own endorphins for pain relief, or melatonin to promote sleep and serotonin to promote wellbeing.
Acupuncture needles are solid, stainless steel needles that are usually not much larger than a strand of hair. The Physiotherapy Acupuncture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) says when physiotherapists in New Zealand use acupuncture, the needles they use are disposable, single use, pre-sterilised needles of varying widths and lengths.
Several needles may be used at each treatment. Your therapist leaves the needle in position for up to 30 minutes before removing it, obviously depending on the condition you are being treated for. Acupuncture can also help improve your overall wellbeing much like yoga, meditation, stretching, and massage therapy.
What is Dry Needling
Although we don’t currently offer dry needling at Body Mechanics, we would like to explain to you what it is.
Dry needling differs from acupuncture in that it focuses specifically on trigger points that are causing pain or discomfort. Used by practitioners of both traditional Chinese and Western medical acupuncture, the aim of Dry needling is to provide quick relief to specific damaged tissues in the body. The rapid relief it can bring means it works well on knotted or tight muscles. It is often useful for sports injuries or where a muscle has been overused.
The needle is placed into the trigger point in the affected muscle until a response in the form of a twitch is felt in the muscle. Unlike acupuncture, the needle is not left in place but is removed once the twitch is felt. After the treatment, the trigger point may be sore, so therapists often apply heat or ice. The muscled treated may feel aching for up to two days after treatment.
Some conditions, such as a tennis elbow or tight calf muscles, can be treated with acupuncture or dry needling, giving similar results.
Will acupuncture work for me?
Your physiotherapist will fully assess your pain levels, medical history and injuries to make sure that acupuncture is appropriate for you. You may be more sensitive in certain areas, but acupuncture shouldn’t hurt. Needles are usually not painful at all on areas with thicker skin and muscles. Certain points like your hands and feet might be more sensitive than your back for instance.
All trained physiotherapists ensure the full medical history is taken as certain conditions may not be suitable for acupuncture. If you are pregnant, have a pacemaker, taking blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, it may not be right for you. Acupuncture that involves applying mild electrical pulses to the needles can interfere with a pacemaker’s operation, and some types of acupuncture are thought to stimulate labour, which could result in a premature delivery. Your therapist should explain potential side effects and safety with you.
If you consider acupuncture, always insist on a trained, qualified, licensed and experienced practitioner such as Soki. Other than that, approach it the same way you would try to choose any other type of medical professional — ask friends and family, and look at reviews.
Quick summary
Acupuncture
- Can be traditional Chinese acupuncture based on the theory of using needles to balance energy flow through the body, or Western acupuncture which uses a medical approach to insert needles based on the anatomy of the body.
- Uses several needles.
- Needles are left in up to 30 minutes.
- Can be used for a wide range of conditions, all approved by the World Health Organisation.
Dry Needling
- Commonly uses an acupuncture needle but can also use any needle.
- Only one or two needles are used.
- Needles are placed and then removed immediately.
- The focus is on trigger points and rapid relief.
- Used for specific conditions where immediate pain or tension relief is required before further treatment with other therapies.
Each acupuncturist has their own unique style, often blending aspects of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. Here at Body Mechanics Whakatāne, Soki uses tender points rather than specific TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) points during his for treatments. He says those points are called 阿是穴, which is literally translated as “Yes, right there” points. He explains that the approach can be similar to dry needling, although there are differences, too.
Acupuncture or dry needling can be done on their own, but they are most often used as part of an overall physiotherapy treatment plan. Both acupuncture and dry needling can be helpful precursors for other manipulative therapies or exercises prescribed for clients to do at home.
