Acupuncture & Dry Needling Services
Dr. Samantha Szyska provides acupuncture and dry needling therapies to many patients, from those experiencing daily aches and pains to those with chronic conditions or sports-related injuries.
Acupuncture and dry needling are safe and painless methods of helping the body heal and encouraging emotional, mental, and physical well-being and overall balance. By inserting thin needles into the skin at strategic points, we’ve seen patients find relaxation and comfort as pain, injuries, and emotional disturbances subside.
Both dry needling and acupuncture can promote wellness in people at many stages of life. We utilize these therapies with prenatal patients, high school athletes, desk sitters, girls with significant menstrual cramps, and those experiencing regular wear and tear.
If you’re interested in learning more about how acupuncture and dry needling can benefit your life, please contact our Chicago acupuncture clinic or schedule an appointment today.
What is the Difference Between Acupuncture & Dry Needling?
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture involves creating precise and controlled minor wounds in specific areas of the body's soft tissues, called meridians. These carefully placed needle insertions trigger a localized healing response, prompting increased blood flow and oxygen to the compromised areas.
This process mirrors the body's natural reaction to injury. When we sustain a wound, the body responds by increasing circulation to the affected area; the enhanced blood flow delivers nutrients and oxygen crucial for healing and revitalization.
Acupuncture harnesses this innate healing mechanism. The targeted micro-injuries created by the needles stimulate increased blood circulation and oxygenation in specific areas, promoting natural healing and restoring energy balance.
On a more complex level, acupuncture can engage the central nervous system, triggering the release of specific biochemicals in the soft tissues, spine, and brain, supporting overall body balance through improved energy flow. This cascade of physiological responses enhances the body and mind, contributing to overall health, function, and vitality.
What is Dry Needling?
Like acupuncture, dry needling is a safe, trusted, painless therapy involving thin, unmedicated needles placed in the body. However, while acupuncture focuses on energy, dry needling focuses on muscle restoration.
Dry needling is a therapeutic technique that employs fine, sterile needles to target specific trigger points in the body's soft tissues.
A trigger point is a sensitive, knot-like area in a muscle that feels tender to touch or pressure. It can cause pain at the site or in a referred pattern, affecting other areas. This often leads to discomfort and reduced range of motion.
The needles are strategically inserted into the affected trigger points, creating a controlled stimulation that helps reset muscle function and alleviate discomfort. While the needle insertion is superficial, the effects can penetrate deep into the underlying tissues.
Common factors leading to trigger point formation include:
- Repetitive movements or muscle overuse
- Frequent heavy lifting (occupational or exercise-related)
- Acute injuries, particularly in sports
- Chronic poor posture or movement patterns
- Persistent muscle tension
- Stress-induced physical manifestations, often in the neck, shoulders, and hips
- Natural aging processes and cumulative wear on the body
The precision of this approach often leads to quick and effective results. Many patients experience significant improvements in pain levels and function shortly after treatment.
Our team is committed to holistic healing through comprehensive chiropractic and rehabilitative solutions. Don't let persistent discomfort hold you back. Explore how our targeted treatments can help you regain comfort and mobility.
Does Acupuncture & Dry Needling Hurt?
A common question we receive is whether acupuncture and dry needling are painful. While pain tolerance and injury types vary from person to person, the short answer is no. The needles used in acupuncture and dry needling are exceptionally fine, making their insertion virtually indistinguishable to most patients.
The experience is typically described as follows:
During needle insertion
Most patients report little to no sensation as the needles are placed. The slender design of these needles allows for minimal tissue disruption.
During treatment
The majority of patients find these procedures to be painless and comfortable throughout the session.
There may be an occasional muscle response that shows as a slight twitch. This is a natural reaction of the muscle contracting slightly as the needle enters; however, this sensation is typically not painful or distressing.
After treatment
After the therapy, it's normal to experience some mild effects, such as tenderness at the insertion points or a dull ache in the treated muscles, similar to the feeling after a workout or a deep tissue massage.
These post-treatment sensations are mild and often viewed as signs that the therapy has effectively engaged the target areas. They usually subside quickly, will not hinder your day or routine, and are not cause for concern.
Are Acupuncture & Dry Needling Safe?
Acupuncture and dry needling are designed as gentle, noninvasive treatments that prioritize patient comfort while delivering therapeutic benefits.
Using needles to balance energy and promote healing has been used for centuries and can be as effective or more so than many conventional Western medical treatments without the drastic side effects and downtime.
Over 14 million acupuncture patients in the United States alone have made these modalities commonplace among athletes; however, many other people have chosen dry needling and acupuncture to safely, naturally, and effectively reduce their pain and mental stress, help them sleep and focus, and safely return to the activities they love.
The primary goals of dry needling and acupuncture are to:
- Restore normal muscle function
- Reduce pain
- Improve overall mobility
- Improve the quality of movement
- Restore balance and energy flow
- Improve physical and mental well-being
The Benefits of Acupuncture & Dry Needling
Acupuncture and dry needling therapy offer a conservative and insightful approach to your natural healing process. They restore equilibrium as the body finds a resolution to dysfunction. But they do so much more than that.
Common benefits of dry needling and acupuncture include:
- Safe and effective pain relief that works quickly
- Improved range of motion and flexibility
- Faster and safer recovery from injuries
- Enhanced athletic performance
- Reduced muscle tension and spasms
- Decreased reliance on medication or more aggressive healthcare techniques
- Improved posture and biomechanics
- Improved blood flow, nutrients, and oxygen
- Reduced inflammation and scar tissue
- Improved sleep quality and energy levels
- No recovery time or downtime
- Reduced mental stress and anxiety
Musculoskeletal Conditions Acupuncture & Dry Needling Can Treat
Dry needling and acupuncture can help those with both chronic or long-lasting pain and acute or sudden pain. Whether you need to rehabilitate after a sporting event or have muscle pain due to a sedentary lifestyle, these therapies may be the optimal resource.
Common symptoms, injuries, and conditions dry needling and acupuncture can help relieve include:
- Neck pain and stiffness, including whiplash
- Back pain and low back or lumbar pain
- Pregnancy-related discomfort
- PMS and menstrual cramps
- Headaches, including migraines
- TMJ
- Muscle pulls and strains
- Scar tissue or adhesions
- Disc injuries, including disc herniation and disc bulge
- Rotator cuff injury and shoulder pain
- Elbow pain, including tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- Hand and wrist pain, including carpal tunnel syndrome
- Hip pain and sciatica
- Knee pain or stiffness
- Ankle sprains, ankle pain, and motion loss in the ankle
- Plantar fasciitis and foot pain
- Sports injuries
- Overuse injuries
Acupuncture and dry needling can treat sports injuries, overuse injuries, and muscle pain. Our team tailors a recovery plan that may include chiropractic care and at-home guidance for optimal, lasting results.
Combining Acupuncture & Dry Needling With Other Chiropractic Solutions
We value your time and often use acupuncture and dry needling to complement other chiropractic therapies to efficiently manage your condition and pain points.
Some of the safe, organic chiropractic treatments and rehabilitative therapies we utilize include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Spinal manipulations
- Webster Technique
- Instrument-assisted joint and tissue modalities
- Electrodes
- Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
- Cupping therapy
- At-home ergonomics guidance
- Take-home rehab exercises
- Lifestyle education
Dr. Samantha has the experience and knowledge to create the optimal program for your needs; she will always put you first with patient-centered and evidence-based care, maximizing your time with us. Our treatments are effective and contribute to your healthy, active lifestyle.
You deserve to live pain-free. Together, let’s start down your road to recovery.
Your First Acupuncture or Dry Needling Treatment with Our Chicago Chiropractic Clinic
Upon your first acupuncture or dry needling treatment, Dr. Samantha will go over everything with you so you feel confident and relaxed. We understand that needles make many people nervous; however, this method of care is incredibly safe and beneficial, and we’ll ensure you feel comfortable throughout the procedure.
In most cases, we’ll ask you to lie on a table, exposing the injured, sore, or compromised area. We’ll then insert the thin needles at the meridian or trigger point into the skin.
Sessions last about 15 to 30 minutes; the number of sessions needed will depend on your injury and comfort level.
Don’t waste one more day in pain. Start now and live fully, actively, and with intention.