I mentioned in my previous post that I’d been having an achy right foot…nothing major, but I could feel it. I had a friend who last year ruptured her plantar and the image of her foot is forever ingrained in my memory; so, when I started to feel this little niggle, I decided to take care of it right away.

At my coach’s suggestion, I visited a sports doctor on Monday who said that it was good I was catching this early. Then he said, “I can tell you what I want to do, and I can tell you what your other options are.”

Uh, oh.

I told him to give it to me straight.

Dry needling.

WHAT?!?

I’ve heard about it from other runner friends but I didn’t really know what it was. Basically, they poke you with a needle and then push the needle as far as they can until you say STOP.

He said that I could turn on my stomach so I didn’t see, but I told him that I did want to see. And I also wanted to see the needle. He showed it to me and even let me hold it. I became one with the needle.

I had 3 needles poked in the arch of my right foot. Each time he pushed it in deep until I couldn’t anymore. Then, once in, he would twist the needle.

He asked if I was okay with him inserting one on my shin. I figured, might as well…

What I thought when he poked me in the shin

Let me just say, that I’m actually very good with needles. I was thankful for this random gift as I have no idea how those NOT good with needles would handle this procedure.

He taped me up and said that I should feel better the next day. The next day?!? But it was true. I felt relief the very next morning. I was advised to rest though and not run for 4-5 days. I could cross train, which I did on Tuesday and Wednesday and on Friday, I went for my first run.

I’d have to say, I’m a believer in this dry needling business. It hurt, but it was effective and really, that’s all that matters to me. I’ll take the pain to make the pain go away.

–Have you ever done dry needling?

–Are you good with needles?