What is Functional Dry Needling?
We use an acupuncture needle, which does not contain any medication, to insert into the painful muscle in order to provide pain relief. All of our needles are sterile, one-time-use needles made from surgical grade metal. How does it work? It works on a few levels. It kick-starts the healing process to increase blood flow to the area and reset “trigger points” or hypersensitive areas in the muscle. It helps to retrain the pain center in the brain that controls the painful body part. What does it feel like? It varies patient to patient, but typically the patient does not feel the needle break the skin. Once inside the muscle, it feels like a cramping sensation. After the needle has been placed we use electrical stimulation to help reset the muscle and pain sensation, which feels like a comfortable tapping sensation. It feels like a workout soreness for usually 24 hours then pain relief is felt around 48 hours. How long does it take before I feel pain relief? Usually it takes 2-3 sessions before the patient feels significantly better. Sometimes it is sooner than 3 sessions, but on average 2-3. The pain relief can also be immediate, but usually felt around 48 hours following the session. What are the side effects/risks? Since there is no medication within the needles, there are very few risks and side effects. It is a great low risk option to tackle acute and chronic pain. Muscle soreness is the most common afterwards. Needles placed in the extremities are the lowest risk, as it is not near the lung field. Needles near/over the lung field are increased risk of a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) if the needle penetrates the field. Our clinicians are highly trained and experienced and have never had any adverse effects with their patients. What if I am on any blood thinners? The needles don’t usually cause any bleeding. Sometimes you may experience bruising at the site, but very rarely. What if I am pregnant or had recent surgery? We do not perform Functional Dry Needling if you are pregnant or have a current active infection. If you have had surgery within 6 weeks we stay away from the surgical site. If it’s been 12 weeks we can needle at the surgical site if we have clearance from your doctor. Can I try Functional Dry Needling even if I am not being treated as a patient? Yes! If you want to come in for a trial without being seen as an established patient we offer 20-30 minute sessions starting at $60 per session. Functional Dry Needling is always more effective in conjunction with Physical Therapy (manual therapy and exercise). If you are interested or have more questions, please call to speak with Dr. Jill, Dr. Bobbi or Dr. Heidi. We are happy to help and get you feeling better!
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Physical therapists aren't just for people that are injured or have had surgery. Physical therapists can also help healthy people improve their fitness.
Here are 5 reasons why you should consider seeing yours. 1. You Want a Baseline When you see a physical therapist to improve your fitness, you'll get an assessment of your strength, range of motion, posture and movement patterns. This not only helps us design a customized program just for you, it gives us a baseline to compare things to in the future should you start having pain or suffer an injury. 2. You Want Expert Guidance Becoming a physical therapist requires at least a bachelor's degree and most PTs practicing today have a doctorate. Every PT has passed a national board exam and maintains a state license. That guarantees you that every physical therapist is a verified expert in human movement. 3. You Want to Prevent Injury Physical therapists don't just work to heal injuries, we are also experts in preventing them. After a thorough assessment, we can help you design a program that will not only help you reach your fitness goals, but that can address any issues that increase your risk for injury. 4. You Want Unbiased Advice Yoga instructors will want you to do yoga. Personal trainers will want you to come to their gym. Pilates instructors will want you to do Pilates. Strength coaches will want you to strength train. A physical therapist doesn't have a bias or vested interest as to what type of fitness regimen you choose. We are only interested in helping you reach your goals. 5. You Have a History If you have some kind of history that affects your ability to exercise, a PT is the best person to help you design a fitness regimen. It doesn't matter if it's an old injury from athletics or work, back pain that comes up from time to time, COPD, arthritis or heart disease, we can help you safely work around it and meet your fitness goals. |
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