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Dewayne Miller,
PT, DPT, OCS, ATC
Physical Therapy
Clinical Coordinator,
Sports Medicine
Coordinator
Rehab Physician
Liaison
What is dry needling?
I t could be the answer for pers i stent
painful condi t ions
Chances are you’ve
never heard of dry needling—a
newer treatment option at T.J. Samson Community Hos-
pital. But it just might be an answer
to your muscle pain.
Dry needling is a minimally inva-
sive option some physical therapists use
to relieve some conditions that cause
pain. In this procedure, a solid filament
needle is inserted into tightly con-
tracted muscular areas, called myofas-
cial trigger points.There’s no injection
of medicine—the needle itself is the
treatment.
“Myofascial trigger points (pain-
ful knots in the muscle) are areas that
produce and help maintain a person’s
pain cycle,” says physical therapist
Dewayne Miller, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC. “We’re trying to
break the pain cycle and reverse the process that led to the
formation of the trigger point.”
Dr. Miller and three other T.J. Samson physical thera-
pists underwent advanced training to offer the treatment to
their patients. Many types of overuse injuries involving the
muscles and connective tissues in the back, neck, and upper
and lower extremities benefit from dry needling.
“We use it in people with tennis or golfer’s elbow;
Achilles tendinitis; plantar fasciitis; and muscle strains
throughout the body, like hamstring strains,” Dr. Miller
says. Dry needling has also been used to treat pain from
headache and TMJ disorders.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During a treatment session, the physical therapist will lo-
cate the myofascial trigger points that reproduce your pain
symptoms. Next, a thin needle is inserted through the skin
and into the trigger point, which will cause a local twitch
response in the muscle. At this point, you may feel a very
brief shock or cramping sensation in the muscle.
More than one session is often needed, Dr. Miller says.
Side effects are minimal—some people experience sore-
ness for a few hours to a few days afterward.This can be
soothed with heat or ice, gentle stretches, and rest.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Researchers don’t know the exact mechanisms of dry nee-
dling. But it’s known to increase blood flow to the muscle
and cause other favorable mechanical and biochemical
changes that help reduce pain, Dr. Miller says.
Not everyone is a candidate for dry needling, includ-
ing those on blood thinners. Dry needling doesn’t work for
every person. But dry needling has helped many people in
our practice feel better and return to a normal and more
active lifestyle, Dr. Miller says.
Your kidneys are
filtration work-
horses. Each of these bean-shaped
organs contains around 1 million tiny
filters that sift through about 30 gal-
lons of blood every day.
It’s up to your kidneys to filter out
the waste and excess substances from
your blood that you don’t need while
holding on to the nutrients and water
that you do.
It’s a full-time job, so it’s little
wonder that everyone’s kidneys work a
little less well with age. But for more
than 20 million of us, the problem
isn’t age—it’s chronic kidney disease
(CKD), which can lead to heart attack,
stroke, kidney failure and death.
WHO'S AT RISK
FOR KIDNEY DISEASE?
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the
most common causes of CKD. Just hav-
ing a family history of these two con-
ditions raises your risk for the disease.
Other risk factors include:
● ●
Having cardiovascular disease.
● ●
Being of African American, Native
American, Hispanic, Asian or Pa-
cific Islander heritage.
● ●
Being 60 or older.
● ●
Being obese.
● ●
Having lupus or other autoimmune
disorders.
● ●
Having chronic urinary tract
infections.
● ●
Using painkillers like ibuprofen and
naproxen for a prolonged period of
time.
● ●
Having kidney stones.
KEEP YOUR KIDNEYS
STRONG
If you think you’re at risk for CKD,
talk to your doctor. He or she can
order lab tests to check how well your
kidneys are working.
To help keep your kidneys healthy:
● ●
Control your blood pressure. Below
120/80 mm HG is best. And if your
doctor prescribes medicine to con-
trol your blood pressure, be sure to
take it as directed. Some blood pres-
sure medicines may actually protect
your kidneys.
● ●
If you have diabetes, control your
blood sugar.
● ●
Keep your cholesterol levels in
the range recommended by your
doctor.
● ●
Lower your salt intake. Aim to eat
less than 2,300 milligrams of so-
dium daily.
● ●
Exercise regularly.
● ●
Maintain a healthy weight.
● ●
If you smoke, do your kidneys—and
other organs in your body—a big
favor and quit.
Sources: National Institutes of Health; National Kidney
Foundation
How to
keep your kidneys
going strong
Is dry needling right for you?
Ask your primary doctor for a
physical therapy referral. Or
call 270-659-5660 to schedule a
visit with a physical therapist.
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DESTINATION HEALTH