First time with dry needling

Today, I cried and cried from pain relief. Just north of DC I had an experience with a Neuromuscular therapist who was recommended to me. He did some Myofascial Release therapy and dry needling.

Dry needling, or, Trigger point needling is when someone sticks an accupuncture needle directly into a muscle that's all fucked up, wiggles the needle around a bit in hopes of getting that tissue to release.

Myofascial Release therapy is not a massage, but when some does this slow pushing and moving on your skin or pressure into a muscle to get your body to relax tissues that have been held tight.

In the past, I had an osteopath who would make me laugh with joy in relief from my pain. I thought that was remarkable, so did he. But here, with people trained in MFR and dry needling, I cry, I sob with pain relief. Even thinking about the experience will get me to well up.

The assesment for me is always the fun part. I get to talk about how I see things, what I know, and how my body is fucked up. Who doesn't like talking about themselves? Something I always try to get a new person like this to appreciate is what I already know. I prefer when they talk to me like I'm advanced because I love to ask questions when I don't know. This guy was amazing. He explained a whole lot. Taught me some great movements and was really kind.

Then he did some MFR. On my back I pointed out the problem area. The beginning was fine, I think he was feeling his way around. But then he went to my spine. With two hands vertically on my spine he began to pull things apart along my hinge point, which is my L1 vertabrae. Within seconds my heart began pounding. A moment later I was bwaling my eyes out. Such intense relief. And as always I was flooded with emotion about my life.

This is my life. Caught in perpetual pain, always needing help for relief. And see, this exposes just how much pain you hold in you all the time. Accept it loser.

It is so easy to get lost in how much I hate this life, but these sadder thoughts merely float around the core feeling of intense relief. So it's not all that bad.

Dry needling

This part was scarier than I anticipated. I have had accupuncture. This is not that. This is way more trying.

He chose to work on my Quadratus Lumborum. The left needle goes in. That's fine. Tiny thing goes in quick. But then, he wiggles it around and suddenly I feel exactly the muscle, exactly where the needle is and it hurts. A lot. The needle comes out and the pain beings to subside. He continues to press into the area to get those miscles to relax. Yikes.

Afterwards I slowly get up and do some overhead side stretches. Immediately, I am more flexible. So much more I laugh and cry at it. Instead of feeling the pull of my stretch at the attachment points on my muscles I feel the muscle tissue stretching. A distinclty differnt sensation that leaves you feeling good rather than bad. Both of us were amazed the difference one needle gave me.

So we went back in for a needle in the other side. MY right side hurt a LOT more. I was pulling in, cringing from the pain and crying out because it hurt so intensely. I never cry out from pain. This was hard. And it took a good while longer for the relaxing to occur after. But still the eventuality of it gave me a great comfort.

I spent a long time laying down afterward feeling this new body I am in. It is not cured. It is not pain free. But the range of movement, the comfort, the filling of my body, and the minimzed intensity of my neural pain is significant, and I am joyus.

I will continue seeking treatment like this 😍