Expert Dry Needlingin Philadelphia, PA: Advanced Techniques for Pain Relief

Before starting the dry needling treatment, our physical therapists follow a comprehensive evaluation process to determine the best course of treatment:

• Step 1: Determine if the pain results from a musculoskeletal issue and screen for non-musculoskeletal causes of pain.
• Step 2: Evaluate the patient’s movement and identify a muscle, group of muscles, nerve, or movement pattern contributing to the patient’s pain and mobility deficit.
• Step 3: Analyze an active and passive range of motion and perform special tests to pinpoint potential contributors to the patient’s pain.
• Step 4: Palpate the patient’s muscles to identify trigger points in the muscle tissue, addressing the patient’s limitations and providing relief.

During a dry needling session, Dr. Thomas or Dr. Abramowitz will evaluate your musculoskeletal system to determine which muscles, joints, bones, and nerves might contribute to your pain. Then, treatment points will be chosen based on the entire evaluation, including listening to your story and determining the root cause of your pain.

After identifying the treatment points, we will locate specific areas in your connective tissue to help address your limitations and relieve your pain. Oftentimes, we will treat myofascial trigger point pain in your muscle tissue to release tension and promote relaxation, which can reduce pain and improve function.

In some cases, we may choose to treat based on a nerve pathway, stimulating your muscles along specific nerve paths to provide relief. Research has shown that stimulating the muscles along specific nerve paths can be more effective than relying on the twitch response.

Since dry needling is a reset to the musculoskeletal, it’s most effective when used with exercises to reeducate the body on how to utilize and integrate the “new” movement once it’s restored.