Dry Needling

Myofascial trigger points and tender points which appear in soft tissue, and are painful sites, and are associated with many neuro-musculo-skeletal conditions that are treated in physical medicine. The procedure known as Dry Needling is an important tool for diagnosing, treating and monitoring changes in myofascial trigger/tender points. During this procedure, a sterile, very thin, solid filament needle is inserted into tissue that may be associated with one or a number of my complaints an/or dysfunction. One or a number of needles may be used, and the procedure may be performed during more than one office visit. The number of needles, and the frequency of the procedure, will depend entirely on the condition at each office visit. There is little to no pain with this procedure. There is little to no bleeding with this procedure.

Dry needling is a neurophysiological evidence-based treatment technique that requires effective manual assessment of the neuro-musculo-skeletal condition. Physical therapists with formal training are capable of utilizing dry needling in intervention of neuro-musculo-skeletal dysfunctions. Research supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, normalizes biochemical and electrical dysfunction of motor endplates, and facilitates an accelerated pain control and improvement in function. This treatment is especially effective in athletes recovering from injury, who have residual spasms. The technique has benefits for people who have had surgery and rehab and still have tight spasming musculature. This is a very safe and effective treatment with most patients getting a sense of how beneficial it will be to them within a few sessions.

For more information, visit Dr. Frank Layman – PT, DPT, EdD, MTC  at our Monelison Clinic.