What is Neuro Needling?
At Natural Pain Solutions we offer a unique form of treatment we call ‘Neuro Needling’.
Our experienced Naturopath, Mr Scott Hankinson, also practised as a registered Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner for over 27 years. Over this time his experience with a variety of alternative therapies, ranging from reflexology to Reiki to shiatsu (and more) led him to develop a unique style of needling. He calls this ‘Neuro Needling’, and is now choosing to solely practice this technique, taking the step of choosing to no longer work as a registered Acupuncturist in order to devote all this efforts to further develop Neuro Needling. His goal is ultimately to teach other practitioners this excellent therapeutic technique.
What’s the difference between Acupuncture and Neuro Needling?
The primary difference is that Acupuncture works on the meridian lines in the body, which is a very ancient method, whereas Neuro Needling works on the nervous system and, indirectly, the circulatory system.
Like Acupuncture, Neuro Needling aims to bring harmony to the body by correcting energy flow imbalances and releasing stuck areas, though Neuro Needling prefers to view this in terms of electrical nerve impulses rather than ‘qi’ or ‘chi’.
Neuro Needling also has a big focus on blood flow and releasing stagnation, making it an ideal treatment not only for nervous system complaints such as stress and anxiety, but also for muscle injuries and circulatory disorders. Like Acupuncture, Neuro Needling can also be used to treat gut problems, soothing and regulating inflammatory conditions.
Neuro Needling utilises distal needling, where needles are inserted in the arms and legs, targeting nerves which correspond to different areas of the body. The technique variously releases, tones, stimulates or calms the nerves, depending on the treatment goal. Relaxing muscle tension, stimulating blood flow, desensitising over-sensitive nerves (reducing pain), and stimulating certain hormonal and organ functions are some of the different impacts that can be achieved. Where calming the nerves is a goal, clients may experience deep relaxation, improved sleep and reduction of anxiety, stress and depression.
One of the big advantages to you with this method is that there is no need to disrobe, as needles are mostly inserted in the limbs. All you need to do is wear loose clothing that allows the practitioner to access your arms and legs.
Finally, in Neuro Needling the practitioner seeks an immediate response in the body. For certain conditions, particularly muscular, the practitioner will often ask the client if they are getting relief on-the-spot. This live feedback loop is a very powerful tool, not normally used in acupuncture.
What’s the difference between Neuro Needling and Dry Needling?
Dry Needling can often be uncomfortable and even painful as the practitioner’s goal is to elicit a ‘twitch’ or spasm response in the muscle in order to relieve tension locking the muscles. This is not the case with Neuro Needling, which is comparatively much gentler and sees the organs and parts of the body as deeply integrated and interdependent, both with both each other and with the nervous and circulatory systems.
This gentler, deep-seated approach is due to Neuro Needling’s primary focus being on the nervous system, rather than musculature. However, the secondary impact of assisting with blood flow means that back, neck, frozen shoulder and other musculo-skeletal problems can often be helped enormously by bringing oxygen-rich blood to injured areas, promoting healing and release of locked up muscles – ultimately achieving similar or better results to Dry Needling, but with much less pain.
A particular advantage of Neuro Needling is that it uses distal needling, where needles are inserted into hands, arms, feet and legs at points which correspond via the nervous system to painful areas elsewhere in the body. This means needles are not inserted into an already injured area, eliminating the risk of further inflammation and tissue damage.
What conditions can Neuro Needling treat?
Since Neuro Needling is a new therapy, there are no studies proving efficacy at this point in time. However, Neuro Needling is the result of Scott Hankinson honing his skills and knowledge over the course of 27 plus years. Scott has continually refined his technique, learning what works and what doesn’t. Scott’s primary area of experience is pain relief and pain management, and his focus is always to address the true, underlying cause of pain – as well as to eliminate the symptoms.
At Natural Pain Solutions we take your health seriously and offer a fully professional service. Natural Pain Solutions is one of the longest-running, oldest clinics in Ringwood, having been established in 2007. Since then we’ve successfully treated thousands of clients with a vast range of complaints.
You can book online right now, or if you’d like to find out more please contact us by telephone on 03 9876 8786 or by using our online form, and one of our friendly staff will answer your questions and make your booking in person.
We look forward to seeing you at the clinic soon!
