BOONE MEMORIAL PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER NOW OFFERING DRY NEEDLING

The Boone Memorial Hospital Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center is now offering dry needling. Dry Needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. Dry needling (DN) is a technique used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle, fascia, and connective tissue, and diminish persistent peripheral nociceptive input, and reduce or restore impairments of body structure and function leading to improved activity and participation. Dry needling is NOT acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists.

What kinds of pain does dry needling treat?

Dry needling is almost always utilized in combination with other physical therapy interventions such as exercise, manual therapy, and education. It is used to increase range of motion that may be limited due to muscle tightness or scar tissue.

Dry needling may also treat:

• Joint problems

• Disk problems of the spine

• Tendinitis

• Migraine and tension-type headaches

• Jaw and mouth problems (such as TMJ)

• Whiplash

• Repetitive motion disorders like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Spinal problems

• Pelvic pain

• Night cramps

• Phantom pain

• Pain caused by shingles

TRIGGER POINT DRY NEEDLING

Trigger Point Dry Needling (TDN) uses thin filament needles to “deactivate” or “shut down” painful or knotted areas in the muscle. These fine needles are inserted into affected areas which elicit a “twitch response” followed by immediate and long-lasting relaxation of the muscle. TDN accelerates healing by promoting increased circulation to the injured area, improved oxygen delivery, and stimulation of neural pathways that can block pain messages.

Patients experiencing chronic or acute pain who have had limited or no response to traditional or nontraditional treatment techniques in the past typically respond well to this type of treatment. It is an effective treatment for many different types of injuries and conditions.

Any patient considering dry needling should consult with his/her physician first to discuss a referral to our Center.

Please call 304-369-5719 for an evaluation and treatment by our certified dry needling therapist, Mike Elliot, DPT, OCS, Cert MDT. Visit the BMH Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Page HERE

Article References: APTA (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013) , Rehab One, Ltd

and Dynamic Physical Therapy