Functional integrated acupuncture (FIA) integrates a variety of dry needling techniques during a single session. Unlike traditional chinese acupuncture which traditionally selects points along meridians, dry needling targets anatomical structures that are the underlying cause of musculoskeletal conditions. FIA uses current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology, and the principles of evidence based medicine.
The most widespread application of acupuncture is for pain relief , most commonly musculoskeletal pain and chronic pain. There is moderate to strong evidence to suggest that acupuncture is more effective than doing nothing for many conditions, and has an effect large enough to be clinically useful.
This includes treatment for:
- chronic neck and low back pain
- upper extremity pain (including rotator cuff tendinitis, tennis elbow (“lateral epicondylitis”) )
- lower extremity pain, mainly due to osteoarthritis (chronic knee and hip pain)
- myofascial trigger point pain
- migraines and tension-type headaches
The 3 main benefits are:
- Decreased pain
- Decreased muscle tension
- Improved function
During a typical treatment, thin filament needles are inserted into various targets that have been determined to be the underlying cause of the painful condition. They are left in from several seconds to 20 minutes. Typically there will be 10 or more needles used for most conditions. Different strategies are used for acute injuries and chronic pain conditions that make this a highly effective treatment modality for soft tissue injuries.
The insertion of needles into the tissues causes the release of substances that help improve blood flow to areas of tightness and decreases sensitivity by neuromodulating the nervous system. These effects help control pain, improve function and speed up healing.