Trying Something New

I will never stop trying new things and tweaking my existing treatments to try and be as pain free as possible. Yesterday I tried something brand new. "Dry Needling." 

The whole procedure was fast. It took about an hour from start to me leaving. I had "ultrasound guided dry needling" done to some problem areas in my back that are tight and painful. As I understand it the point is to dig the needle deep enough into the muscle a few times in order to start an immune response from the body. The body then sends healing resources to those muscles and they heal looser and improved than before.

Here's how my day went.

I woke up at 6AM to be ready for my 8AM appointment.
I wanted to be early enough to put on a little makeup and not be in a rush.

I gathered my paperwork that was sent to me ahead of time.

The nice lady who checked me in said it was the first time ever someone brough ALL their paperwork already completed with them. I believe it. I am THAT patient.

We waited in the lobby till 8:15. 

I miss crappy lobby magazines.

I was checked in and prepped for the procedure.

I brought my air pods and audio book in case I needed it.

Oh yeah! And my "fidget cube."

You can see it in my hand.
I'm throwing a chaka and ready to go!

Between stretching and showering I slept with my own personal guard on duty.

I woke up at 6PM to see this little bed bug peeking at me.

I was able to stay seated in my chair and just lean over a bedside table that was wheeled in front of me. I appreciated that. My blood pressure and heart rate were monitored the whole time. An ultrasound machine was used to make sure the needling was happening at the best muscle depth. Not to shallow and not too deep.

Some of my muscles spasmed during the process. I was told that was "good." Ok. When they did some spots on my neck and shoulders it didn't hurt at all really. As I anticipated it hurt when they did a bad spot on my lower right side of my back. I can compare it to when you're at the dentist with a sore spot and the hygienist pokes it just right to send you through the roof. It felt like that.

They used topical lidocaine on me and that's all. Again, like the dentist. They said if I was "unable to tolerate it" then they could have "injected something." I tolerated it. Honestly it wasn't any worse than my Botox for Migraines. It just had a longer after-pain that left me exhausted. Although I did get apple juice at the end. I don't get juice after Botox.

I'm supposed to go back in 6 weeks for another treatment. I will say my neck and shoulders, although still tender, do feel better. My lower back "spot" feels pissed at me and just as bad if not worse. I'll go back for another treatment and hope that it is helpful.