Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 2, 2019

KH . ORG 13 By Andrea Nagel Kootenai Health Rehabilitation Services will be among the first in northern Idaho to offer dry needling as a treatment option for patients receiving physical therapy services, adding yet another useful tool to an already robust list of services to help patients recover from surgery or injury. Dry needling is a type of manual therapy that relieves pain by using small needles to target trigger points—areas of tight, tender muscles. Manual therapies, consisting of soft tissue mobilization and joint mobilization, are hands-on techniques used on muscles, ligaments and joints with the goal of optimizing muscle function, joint mobility and total body movement function. Not acupuncture Although commonly thought to be the same, dry needling and acupuncture are actually different treatments. Acupuncture, a common practice in traditional Chinese medicine, often focuses on overall Rehabilitation Services is bringing dry needling to physical therapy patients Pain relief that’s right for you Looking for a physical therapist? Visit KH.org/rehab or call (208) 625-5311 . wellness, including stress management and the balance and flow of your body’s energy (known as chi). In contrast, dry needling pinpoints a specific location of discomfort (myofascial trigger points, or TPs) and is used to assist in providing relief. When used in conjunction with other physical therapy techniques, such as stretching, exercise and other manual techniques, patients can experience a reduction in pain, increases in range of motion, and improvement in muscle performance and overall function. Dry needling allows physical therapists to reach and target TPs that may not respond well to other treatment methods. Customized care “Dry needling is another tool we can use as part of our overall treatment plan,” Kayla Hammond, physical therapist, said. “Every patient we see is different. While one person may respond well to stretching and exercise, another may need more hands-on treatment. Having more options available allows us to create a care plan that’s unique to each patient’s needs.” Kayla expects to initially use dry needling primarily to treat orthopedic (muscle and joint injuries, such as in the spine, knee and shoulder) and postsurgical conditions. She said patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions may also benefit from this treatment, as many have muscle and joint complaints that affect movement and daily function. “I’m excited to see how dry needling will work into our care of patients and how we can expand this treatment to other types of patients,” Kayla said. “The more we’re able to offer our patients, the better and more customized care they’ll receive. We will have therapists trained in dry needling at all three Kootenai Health Rehabilitation Services locations.”