Dry Needling Level 1 Training

Dry Needling Introductory Level I Training: Applications for Pain Management and Sports Injuries

Level I Course Details:

Dry Needling for the Management of the Neuromuscular System

An introductory course for evaluation and treatment of neuromyofascial pain and dysfunction present in the acute and chronic population. Instruction will include evaluation and application of dry needling of neuromyofascial trigger points for musculature which is considered appropriate at the introductory level of training. Other topics to be covered are: common diagnosis and manual testing, safety, clean needling techniques, and review of the supporting literature and marketing. This course is designed for physical therapists but is appropriate for MD’s and DO's.

* Note to Colorado Physical Therapists: Department of Regulatory Agency requires 46 hours of training to be completed with 6-8 months of beginning course work. These courses fulfill DORA’s requirements.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling involves multiple advances of a filament needle into the muscle in the region of a “Trigger Point’. The aim of Dry Needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain. Dry needling is an effective treatment for chronic pain of neuropathic origin with very few side effects. This technique is unequaled in finding and eliminating neuromuscular dysfunction that leads to pain and functional deficits. The needle used is very thin and most subjects do not even feel it penetrate the skin. A healthy muscle feels very little discomfort with insertion of this needle. However if the muscle is sensitive and shortened or has active trigger points within it, the subject will feel a sensation like a muscle cramp -‘the twitch response’. The patient also may feel a reproduction of “their” pain which is a helpful diagnostic indicator for the practitioner attempting to diagnose the cause of the patients symptoms. Patients soon learn to recognize and even welcome this sensation as it results in deactivating the trigger point, reducing pain and restoring normal length function to the involved muscle.

Dry Needling Course Overview

This three day course (27.5 contact hours) consists of a combination of lecture, testing, demonstration and a large amount of hands-on laboratory sessions. Trigger point dry needling (TDN), will be presented as a tool to evaluate and treat the neuromuscular system. Both the Gunn and Travell & Simons’ techniques will be discussed and demonstrated. Supporting research will be presented and discussed. Treatment safety will be evaluated throughout the course.

Pre-Requisites:

Current professional license, in which TDN is within the scope of practice, and a minimum of 2 years practicing.

Objectives:

• Define trigger points, motor banding, and neurological presentations of neuromuscular dysfunction.
• Review literature supporting efficacy and treatment rationale of TDN.
• Instruct application of TDN for orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions.
• Review anatomy of regions to be taught in Level 1 course.
• Discuss legal and billing issues integrating TDN into your practice setting.
• Discuss safety.
• Discuss indications and contraindications for treatment.

What are some of the conditions can I treat after I complete these courses?

The focus of the level I course is treatment for pain management and sport related injuries. Participants successfully completing the Level One and Two courses will be able to treat pain and dysfunction originating from myofascial active trigger points that can lead to conditions such as; tendonopathies, movement impairments and other orthopaedic and sporting conditions of the following areas:

Level I	Level II
Hip	Advanced Hip
Lumbar Spine	Advanced Lumbar Spine
Thigh	TMJ/Face
Cervical Spine	Advanced Cervical Spine
Shoulder	Thoracic Spine
Upper and Lower Extremity	Advanced Upper and Lower Extremity

Who would benefit from this course?

Physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, medical doctors, and doctors of osteopathy who work with patients suffering from chronic musculoskeletal conditions. This course is appropriate for any licensed professional that is allowed under their scope of practice to use a needle and puncture the skin with a strong background in anatomy and movement.  This would include but is not necessarily limited to the following; Physical Therapists (Depending on Practicing State's Practice Act), Medical Doctors, Physician's Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Chiropractors, Licensed Acupuncturists, etc.  This course was developed by a physical therapist and is structured based off of the anatomy and physiology education of physical therapy as well as the integration into a physical therapy setting.  If you are not a physical therapist we highly recommend reviewing at length, the anatomy from the provided study guide, the function and overall use of the musculature, and common diagnosis and pain patterns of the orthopedic and chronic pain specialty.

This course will be limited to those physical therapists who have at least two years of physical therapy experience preferably with strong manual skills and a good understanding of the musculoskeletal anatomy.

*It is a required expectation for all participants to undergo needling in this course.

Prior to the course, participants should review the preparation materials by clicking on this link

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Click here to continue on to the Level 2 TDN Course Information.