Massage,Dry needling and Cupping

At Capital chiropractic our massage therapists often use dry needling and cupping for patients that suffer from chronic muscular injuries or acute spasms. Although the majority of back/neck pain that we see starts with the spinal joints/nerves, soft tissues can often become a secondary complaint and cause their own symptoms.

Chronic back pain- Patients that have long term chronic spinal/postural pain often develop hypertonic (tight) muscles along with trigger points (knots) within the muscles. These trigger points can often cause pain, stiffness, headaches and tightness. Along with the chiropractors who aim to address the primary spinal complaint working on soft tissues can help enormously in preventing problems from returning as well as giving great pain relief.

Acute back pain- Acute patients are those who have had back/neck pain for 6 weeks or less. In these patients pain can often be very intense which can cause severe muscle spasms. The role of dry needling, cupping and massage in this type of patient is to increase mobility, relieve pain and relax the soft tissues to allow the chiropractor to treat the patient more effectively.

Dry needling- This involves inserting a very small needle for a short period of time into the area of the muscle that is affected, similar to acupuncture, although not exactly the same. This in turn helps to relax the muscle by stimulating nerve and muscle fibres. It’s usually painless and can be very effective.

Cupping- Although used for many years and originating in China as a way of healing back pain, cupping became a lot more popular after Michael Phelps displayed his cupping ‘marks’, at the 2016 Olympics on his way to becoming the greatest Olympian of all time. The process involves applying small cups to the back and applying suction through them to allow increased blood flow and circulation to the effected area. Again cupping is usually painless as are the cupping bruises that remain for a few days afterwards.

If you would like to know more or book in for either treatments then please speak with your chiropractor or the reception team at Capital Chiropractic, currently Fernanda offers both services and Sergei just cupping.