Blogs by Topic:
Why Physical therapy or Occupational therapy:
Choose PT First to save time and money
Are you a smart consumer of Healthcare?
Conditions:
Pain relief without medication
What you need to know about arthritis
Your x-rays and MRIs show us the wrinkles on the inside
A new way to Treat Fibromyalgia
Share your goals; they’re important to us!
Back and Neck Pain:
Best way to get rid of back and neck pain
Essential Exercises for Back pain
Can PT help with Headaches/ Migraines?
Can PT help Back Pain? What we learned from Starbucks
Shoulder:
Prevent and Treat Shoulder Pain
Elbow:
Elbow Tendonitis, a.k.a Tennis Elbow
Wrist/ Hand:
Foot/Ankle:
Why Flip Flops may not be your best option
Pelvic Health:
What is Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
How to stay active during pregnancy
Surgery:
Tips & Tricks to Prepare for Surgery
Stronger going into Surgery, Stronger Coming out.
Common Interventions:
Should I be Stretching or Strengthening?
Seasonal:
A PTs Guide to Snow Shoveling Safety
Winter Safety in Industry: Navigating Cold Conditions with Confidence
Finding your balance in winter
Keeping your arms and hands safe in the Winter
Protecting your joints with summer activities
Information for all of our Green Thumbs
Athletics:
Preventing Pickleball Injuries
Could early specialization be the problem?
Concussion:
Everything you need to know about Concussions
Importance of Baseline Concussion Testing
Running:
Return to Running, Spring Edition
Injury Prevention, do shoes matter?
Orchestra and Performing Arts:
Industrial medicine:
Impact of Athletic Trainers in Industrial Care
Lifting Basics Part 1: Warm-ups, Cool-downs, Strengthening
Lifting Basics Part 2: Safe Lifting Practices ALL Workers Should Know.
Lifting Basics Part 3: Exploring Safe and Effective Lifting Techniques
Lifting Basics Part 4: Effective Ways to Safely Move Objects
Tactical Medicine:
Return to Work Assessment for an Injured Police Officer
Police Support Staff Person of the Year
Things we learned from participating in a mass-casualty simulation
Office:
Getting more activity during your workday
Decrease Fatigue and Reduce Stiffness
Direct Contracting:
Our role in providing exceptional care to the employees of local School Districts
Wellness:
Importance of physical activity
Why you need a PT on your team
The 4 P’s of Energy Conservation
Hidden Aches and Pains caused by Cell Phones
How to decrease the aches and pains brought on by using your phone
Movement Vital Sign, what is that?
You’re never too old to strength train
Improve your mood with exercise, especially during the holidays
Importance of Building Strength
Meet the Team:
Dry Needling
Autumn Paul, PT, DPT
You may have heard about dry needling from one of your friends or family members and now you are thinking, “What is dry needling? Could I benefit from it?”
Dry needling involves the practitioner using a solid filiform needle or hollow-core hypodermic needle (similar to an acupuncture needle) to place it through the skin and enter the muscle. The goal is to place the needle specifically into a myofascial trigger point (hyperactive muscle fibers).
These trigger points can be located in a tense band of muscle. For example, many people have tightness or soreness in their shoulders or necks from the tension they carry throughout the day.
These hyperactive muscle fibers (tense bands of muscle) can send signals to other parts of your body which are considered “referred pain”.
The goal of dry needling is to pierce these trigger points in order to allow these muscle fibers to relax, which can help reduce your pain levels.
“So what conditions may dry needling help with?”
● Headaches
● Shoulder/neck pain/tightness
● Lower back pain/ tightness
● Tennis and golfer’s elbow
● Knee pain
● Shin splints
● TMJ/jaw pain
● Plantar fasciitis
● Hip Pain/ tightness
“Can any physical therapist perform dry needling?”
In order to be able to perform dry needling, the physical therapist is required to go through extensive training. This training includes studying human anatomy and hands-on practice. These training sessions are often a weekend course or even several weekend courses.
“Awesome, I want to see a physical therapist who can assess and see if I could potentially benefit from dry needling. How do I make an appointment?”
First, look online to see what location is closest to you. Then, you can request to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist who is certified to perform dry needling.
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References:
Firth C, Meon J, Price M, Taylor J, Grace S. Dry Needling: A literature Review. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society . 2020;26(1):22-28. Accessed January 14, 2021.
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