Dry Needling, by one of the nation’s experts

Dry needling is a targeted, non-surgical myofascial trigger point therapy that uses thin needles to decrease muscle pain and dysfunction. With the right clinician, profound effects can occur with dry needling as part of the careplan. Almost immediate improvements can be seen in movement patterns, pain levels and blood flow.

Through the years, with this modality, I have prevented dozens of my patients from having unnecessary procedures such as back, hip, shoulder, labral tear, carpal tunnel, or meniscal surgeries. I’ve also helped patients frustrated by their lack of progress in their traditional Physical Therapy and Chiropractic treatments. Especially dear to my heart is helping the patient that has had “that pain no one could ever touch.”

I have the great pleasure of both working alongside Jan Dommerholt, a world renowned researcher and pioneer in dry needling, and being on faculty at Myopain Seminars, where our team teaches the latest evidenced based dry needling techniques to physical therapists, athletic trainers, physicians, chiropractors and acupuncturists.

I am a textbook contributor to the 3rd Edition of Trigger Point Dry Needling: An Evidence and Clinical Based Approach, and have had the honor of being a Maryland Physical Therapy Association Guest Lecturer on dry needling.

Dry Needling FAQ’s

Can’t I Just Use a Massage Gun?

Have you ever said “I feel great for a few hours after my massage and then the pain comes back”? Massage guns and massage have a place in health and wellness, and we may even use these modalities during your treatment session. Dry needling, however, targets deep muscle tissue that these modalities simply cannot reach.

What Are Some Things That Dry Needling Treats?

  • Neck, Mid-Back and Back Pain

  • Shoulder, Forearm, Wrist and Hand Pain

  • TMJ/TMD

  • Hip, Knee and Ankle Pain

  • Gamer’s Thumb

  • Sciatica

  • Frozen Shoulder

  • Rotator Cuff Injuries

  • Scar Tissue and Scars

  • Plantar Fasciitis

  • Headache Pain

  • Trigger Points from Hypermobility/EDS

  • Shin Splints

dry needling

Why Choose New Moon Physiotherapy for Dry Needling?

I have been a physical therapist for more than half of my life. I believe in looking at the body as a whole, and firmly believe that clinicians who practice with the belief of “it hurts here so I’m treating here” are providing a disservice to their patients. Decades of experience have provided me with an intuitive knowledge of dysfunctional movement and pain.

10 years ago, after already working in the field I love for 20 years, I was introduced to dry needling. I could not believe the profound and immediate effects dry needling had on my patients. Patients that used to attend Physical Therapy three times a week for months at a time now came once a week for a few visits. Those deep trigger points that may hands could not get to could now be reached with a thin filiform needle.

I began to learn several styles of dry needling under the tutelage of Pioneers such as Sue Falsone, Ken Cooper, and most recently, Jan Dommerholt. Rather than a “one size fits all” approach to dry needling, I will tailor the style of dry needling most suited to your injury.

Do You Inject Medication?

Dry needling uses a thin, filiform solid needle, similar to an acupuncture needle. No medication is used during treatment. Dry needling a non-pharmacological option for managing pain, avoiding the side effects of long-term medication use.

What is a Trigger Point?

A "trigger point" is a hyper-irritable spot in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule, or “knot”. Trigger points begin to form for as many different reasons as there are people, ranging from poor posture at work, to lifting a heavy weight in the gym, to having EDS or hypermobility, to playing video games for hours on end. Initially, the trigger point becomes painful at the site or original injury, but, through time, can “radiate” in predictable, evidence based patterns.