Dry needling/ Ultrasound dry needling

Dry needling helps reduce pain to muscles, joints and nerves so that our patients can get back to doing the activities they love doing.

What is dry needling?

Dry needling, as defined by Dunning et al (2014), is “the insertion of monofilament needles (i.e. without any injectate) into muscles, ligaments, tendons, subcutaneous fascia, scar tissue and in the vicinity of peripheral nerve tissue.”

“Is that just acupuncture?”

While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture revolves around the movement of “qi” along meridians, dry needling is rooted in the western medical model. A TCM acupuncturist would likely evaluate your tongue and pulse to determine where to locate the needles. In contrast, we would complete a usual physical therapy evaluation identifying painful or involved tissues that we would target.

The additional use of ultrasound technology provides us a chance to even more accurately locate small tendons that we need to target when treating stubborn tendinopathies. 

The benefits

  • Stimulates chemical, endocrinological, vascular and microcirculation changes.
  • Facilitates pain relief through the body’s natural system.
  • Can re-establish protective mechanisms against future pain stimulation.
  • Powerful reach to access deep tissues effectively

Is dry needling right for you?

The thought of dry needling can unnerve some patients initially but once they try it they realize just how effective it can be! Used as part of a multidisciplinary treatment plan, dry needling will be offered and explained to ensure you’re comfortable with the idea before committing.

So what can we treat with dry needling?

  • Low back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Tension headaches
  • Tennis/Golfer’s elbow
  • Muscle strains
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Rotator Cuff syndrome
  • Piriformis syndrome

And many more…

Did you know each of our core services will be most effective when used in synergy with others?

We will analyze your pathology and, together, decide on the best combination and course of action. Take a look at our other core services here.

"Austin really helped me. I suffered shoulder and back pain from a car accident. He introduced me to dry needling which significantly helped. This group is professional and convenient! The exercises and diagrams he provided I still refer to when at home and traveling. Great strategies to help reduce pain! I would definitely go back! "

Patty A

"After my daughter had such great success with Alliance Physical Therapy recovering from ankle surgery, I chose to go to them for relief dealing with a lower back issue. I found out firsthand how manual therapy, strengthening exercises, and dry needling alleviated my pain and accelerated recovery."

Jessica K

"Phil’s openness to communicating, no matter how insignificant I thought my questions might be is unsurpassed. I have total and complete confidence in his knowledge and expertise, and would never ever consider going anywhere else but Alliance PT for my physical therapy needs."

Claire O

Let's see how we can help you.