Dry needling is growing in popularity; learn the basics, and if it’s right for you, from our Physical Therapist, Diana Dickey
Physical Therapist Diana Dickey was introduced to Dry Needling on a mission trip to Haiti.
“I got so excited because I saw how well it worked in Haiti and thought, what a great tool to have for my patients back in Kansas City.”
Dry Needling in Action
Even though dry needling has been around for nearly 80 years, it was just recently passed into Kansas’ Center Practice Act as an approved treatment.
So even though Diana Dickey had been a Physical Therapist for over 30 years, she was surprised that dry needling was one of the first things to come up when she signed up for the mission trip.
The organization leading the trip spoke of its power, so Diana completed a Myopain Seminar Dry Needling Foundations course prior to her trip and was immediately impressed.
“I had it performed on me and was amazed to receive six months of relief for something that had bothered me for 25 years.”
In Haiti, the results continued to inspire her:
“People would come in to our clinic in visible pain and within minutes we could treat them and see a huge difference as the pain lifted from their bodies.”
What is Dry Needling?
According to the American Physical Therapists Association, Dry Needling is, “a skilled intervention used by physical therapists 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.”
Simply put, a very thin needle is expertly placed into a pain point to fatigue that muscle and relieve pain.
The best part? You shouldn’t feel any pain as the needles used are so thin.
While similarities exist between dry needling and acupuncture (for example, they both use a thin needle as their tool), dry needling is rooted in eastern medicine and used to treat pain, rather than influence energy and meridians as in acupuncture.
Is Dry Needling Right for Me?
When Diana got back from Haiti, she continued with her Dry Needling certification and is quick to tell you if you have consistent muscle pain, and specifically, if you can push on your pain point to recreate the pain, dry needling could be a great fit.
It can also be used in tandem with other physical therapy to create a holistic approach.
However, if you have a needle phobia, are on a blood thinner or are pregnant, make sure to tell your physical therapist as it might not be a good fit.
What You Can Expect With Dry Needling
If you’re going to visit Diana at the ARC Physical Therapy+ Shawnee clinic for a dry needling treatment, here’s what you can expect:
- An absolutely clean and sterile process
- A relaxing experience as Diana talks you through what she is doing
- A procedure that lasts about 15 minutes and treats 1-2 muscles
- To feel little to no pain
- Insight on ways to take care of the pain point through stretching
- To pay $35 cash
- Icing the area after the treatment
- Some bruising and soreness over the next few days
Contact Diana at the Shawnee, Kansas Clinic
Diana is well on her way to becoming certified in the state of Kansas and in the meantime offers experienced Dry Needling services at the ARC Physical Therapy+ Shawnee clinic.
Contact the Shawnee clinic at (913) 815-6677 to schedule your Dry Needling appointment.
