A Study On Dry Needling

I decided to become an osteopathic physician mainly because I want to learn more about osteopathic manipulation technique (OMT), which will provide me an invaluable tool to treat patients. As an alternative treatment option to drugs and surgeries, it often works quicker and has fewer side effects. During my shadowing with Dr. Truong, a graduate from VCOM, he demonstrated me OMT, such as muscle energy, counter-strain, high-velocity low-amplitude. He used OMM and acupuncture to help his patients relieve pain. I witnessed how he used acupuncture on patients and brought immediate relief to suffering patients during

The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

OrthoOklahoma is an orthopedic medical clinic with a physical therapy branch that provides outpatient physical therapy care. The facility has a staff of three licensed physical therapists and a physical therapy assistant along with four physical therapy techs. I was able to observe all three physical therapists, Megan Ripley, Joe Ogle and Ken Roberts. At OrthoOklahoma, the most common patients are post-surgery from repairs of muscles, bones or joints. While shadowing these therapists, I observed cases of total knee replacement, total hip replacement, ACL/meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, frozen shoulder, labrum repair, and other ailments from wear-and-tear and aging. This experience allowed me to talk to physical therapists about the ins and outs of their job, learn about different exercises and routines for treatment of injuries, and really get an idea of the work it takes to become a well-respected physical therapist.

The therapies offers uses state-of-the art science, including dry needling. It is like acupuncture with the use of needles that uses mild electronic current to stimulate muscles in precise positions.

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

Without the repetitive boredom of traditional therapy patients can look forward to seeing their physical therapist and focus less on their injuries.

Striving for excellence through determination is essentially beneficial for the student as well as classmates and patients. The end goal of a physical therapy program is to equip students with important knowledge about the field to effectively treat each patient in a safe and informative manner. A patient’s health and well-being is relied heavily upon the therapist’s knowledge while being treated. Optimizing each learning opportunity as a student is critical in becoming a professional and well-educated physical therapist upon

Conversely at SHU, I have visited our DPT students every year across the country as they interned in various clinical environments. Nevertheless, being rooted within the MSI, OMT, and bio-psychosocial framework would define my more than 25 years of (20 years in musculoskeletal) PT practice experience. Graduating with a DPT degree from USC, I am a fellowship-trained, board certified (OCS since 1999) Full Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) since 2003, having graduated from the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Manual Therapy Fellowship program. Notwithstanding having an “in press” commentary and “under review” revised manuscript, I have 2 JOSPT (heralding 2 new techniques or treatment approach paradigms) and 1 Journal of Hand Therapy published journal articles and authored/co-authored almost 40 peer-reviewed orthopaedic and manual PT presentations nationally [Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) and AAOMPT] and internationally (World Confederation for Physical Therapy and the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapist). Anchored in clinical reasoning, OMT, MSI, bio-psychosocial

Dry needling is currently one of the “scope of practice” battles encountered in the physical therapy profession. The “hot topic” is extremely controversial and is not only debated by physical therapists but by acupuncturists as well. The primary issue is whether dry needling should actually be considered under the physical therapists scope of practice. The controversial aspect arises because the dry needling technique is technically invasive because the skin is being punctured. Another issue that comes about this topic is the insufficient amount of research conducted. (Benefits/Side Effects) In addition, dry needling is also not currently included in the DPT programs curriculum. Therefore, those physical therapists who want to acquire this skill it is required to be learned in a continuing education course. Furthermore, there are currently only 18 locations in the United States that offer dry needling education to physical therapists. Another issue concerning dry needling is how this technique should be coded and billed. This being said, it is illegal for physical therapists in New York, Idaho, Tennessee, Hawaii, and South Dakota to perform dry needling in their practice. For example, Hawaii prohibits physical therapists from puncturing skin under any circumstances. Although, it is not considered illegal in the other states, it has not been confirmed as qualifying under the scope of practice by the state regulatory board. The APTA has even began to contact

The purpose of this strategic plan, is to provide a marketing strategy for the implementation of a dry needling (DN) program at ProActive clinic in Pearland, Texas and ultimately expand it to their other two clinics in Pasadena and Clearlake, Texas. The purpose of the DN program, is to provide DN services to the community of individuals that will benefit from this treatment technique, while decreasing their pain and improving their quality of life.

I am learning about the significance of being committed to patient care and dedicating your life's work to the betterment of every patient. I possess a strong academic history as well as a willingness to commit my time to uplifting of my community. Even as a student who has had some hiccups academically, I am proving that I can overcome adversity and "keep my eyes on prize". Furthermore, I am devoted to being the future of physical therapy and displaying selflessness, dedication, compassion, distinction and authenticity. I have learned to sympathize and empathize with patients, however, at the same time stand firm in the therapeutic methods that need to be implemented for the patient's

Dry Needling is becoming an increasingly popular intervention among varying medical professionals in the management of a patient’s plan of care. “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” (APTA, 2013). The major controversy regarding dry needling is the exclusiveness of this technique to the acupuncturist discipline. Even though some people believe dry needling is exclusive to the acupuncturist discipline, research has shown this technique falls under the physical therapy scope of practice, physical therapists are competent to perform this technique, and it’s reliable and effective at improving quality of life in patient’s undergoing physical therapy.

Dry needling, a loosely used term by many people of medicine, to define a filiform needle that goes into the skin and into the muscle, scar tissue, and tendons (Dunning et al. 253). What they’re trying to accomplish with this technique, is to reduce or stop neuromusculoskeletal pain completely. This technique was inspired by the western medicines, which they would call acupuncture. Although similar in a way, very different in technique.

Physical therapy has grown increasing more useful as the years’ progress and more is learned about the human body and its movements, interactions, and mechanisms. Someone may go to physical therapy for injury, recovery, in order to maintain function, or even due to a stroke and is trying to work on walking again. Patients of a physical therapist can include, but is not limited to, elderly, children, accident victims, athletes, those with conditions such as arthritis or fractures, etc. The possibilities are endless for potential physical therapy patients (Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences).