Trigger Point Acupuncture, Motor Point Acupuncture, and Dry Needling
Acupuncture is clinically proven for pain management, so anyone with any pain or injuries should try acupuncture. NIH and WHO both list acupuncture as proven effective for neck, back, shoulder, and knee pain, among many other conditions. Acupuncture is amazing for healing sports injuries, even the US OPEN and the NFL has acupuncturists on staff. There is a specific type of acupuncture called motor point or trigger point acupuncture that is used on muscles that have been pulled or are knotted up due to injuries. Please view this video HERE to see motor point acupuncture in action!
A motor point is an area where nerves innervates muscles. These points are usually located in the center of the muscles and stimulating motor points resets dysfunctional muscle affected by trauma. A trigger point is different in that it is a small patch of tightly contracted muscle. Needling both motor and trigger points cause the muscles to twitch and when it contracts and relaxes, the muscle resets itself. Physical therapists use electro-stimulation all the time to reduce pain, but as an acupuncturist I can use electro-stimulation with acupuncture to get deeper into the muscle fibers thus creating a more profound effect than external stimulation. A number of overuse injuries, such as tendinitis in the knee, are the result of imbalance within opposing muscle groups: one muscle is excessively shortened while the antagonist is excessively lengthened. This puts tension on the tendons, predisposing the area to injury. By stimulating the motor point, it causes the muscle to twitch and corrects the dysfunctional muscle spindles. The primary aim is to relieve muscle pain and cramping, but it may also help to improve a person's flexibility. You can assess the efficacy of motor and trigger point acupuncture by measuring range of motion in the affected area before and after acupuncture.
Dry Needling:
Sometimes physical therapists will refer to Trigger Point or Motor Point acupuncture as "dry needling." Please be careful when selecting your health care provider because they are not created equal. In the state of NJ, physical therapists are currently banned from practicing any form of needling because there is no legal training available to them and the modality of treatment falls under the practice of acupuncture only.
How can Pema Chen Acupuncture help with reducing pain?
If you are interested in getting sports medicine treatments at our Englewood, New Jersey location, please give us a call or text at 201-431-5066. We are conveniently located and serve all of Bergen County NJ and beyond. If you would like to visit one of our other locations, please contact our Grand Central NY headquarters at 212-293-1722. We look forward to helping you increase flexibility, reduce pain, and enhance athletic performance.
A motor point is an area where nerves innervates muscles. These points are usually located in the center of the muscles and stimulating motor points resets dysfunctional muscle affected by trauma. A trigger point is different in that it is a small patch of tightly contracted muscle. Needling both motor and trigger points cause the muscles to twitch and when it contracts and relaxes, the muscle resets itself. Physical therapists use electro-stimulation all the time to reduce pain, but as an acupuncturist I can use electro-stimulation with acupuncture to get deeper into the muscle fibers thus creating a more profound effect than external stimulation. A number of overuse injuries, such as tendinitis in the knee, are the result of imbalance within opposing muscle groups: one muscle is excessively shortened while the antagonist is excessively lengthened. This puts tension on the tendons, predisposing the area to injury. By stimulating the motor point, it causes the muscle to twitch and corrects the dysfunctional muscle spindles. The primary aim is to relieve muscle pain and cramping, but it may also help to improve a person's flexibility. You can assess the efficacy of motor and trigger point acupuncture by measuring range of motion in the affected area before and after acupuncture.
Dry Needling:
Sometimes physical therapists will refer to Trigger Point or Motor Point acupuncture as "dry needling." Please be careful when selecting your health care provider because they are not created equal. In the state of NJ, physical therapists are currently banned from practicing any form of needling because there is no legal training available to them and the modality of treatment falls under the practice of acupuncture only.
How can Pema Chen Acupuncture help with reducing pain?
If you are interested in getting sports medicine treatments at our Englewood, New Jersey location, please give us a call or text at 201-431-5066. We are conveniently located and serve all of Bergen County NJ and beyond. If you would like to visit one of our other locations, please contact our Grand Central NY headquarters at 212-293-1722. We look forward to helping you increase flexibility, reduce pain, and enhance athletic performance.
