Trained at the Oxford School of Sports Massage, here at LJP sports and Equine Therapies we offer medical acupuncture and dry needling for sports injuries. It can be used as a one-off treatment or part of a combination of treatments. Dry needling is also referred to as trigger point needling and is an intramuscular technique. The aim is to reduce pain and trigger point activity and works well when used with other modalities including massage and mobilisations. Medical acupuncture is used in a similar way and stimulates the nervous system with intramuscular use of needles in specific points, or meridians, similar to those used in traditional Chinese medicine (tcm). The main difference being medical acupuncture does not claim to be a "medical alternative" whereas TCM is often used to treat medical conditions.
Medical acupuncture and Dry Needling are contraindicated to those who give blood on a regular basis and the following:
Certain points cannot be used during pregnancy
Patients with uncontrolled movement
Spinal instability
Significant scaring/ poor skin conditions
Acute stroke
Cancer patients
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Haemophilia and other clotting disorders