Dry Needling

Hi @lmc, I'd like to invite @celia16, @armel174, @marymargaret0501, and @dmk to this discussion as they have all discussed dry needling. While not all of these members talked about dry needling for a knee replacement, they may be able to share their experience about the relief they did or did not get from dry needling.

@lmc, you mentioned you are strengthening your quads, which is good. Are you looking at another replacement or surgery?

I’ll just add what I experienced. I didn’t have surgery, but was trying to avoid it for a torn meniscus. I was having pain from it and ITBS too. During my PT, I was also working out on my own at the gym. I developed pain in various places in my body, including my back. I must have strained my whole body trying to compensate. Anyway, I got the dry needling in my back. It really helped and I had relief the next day. I would definitely get it again. Also, the physiotherapist was very skilled and experienced. I feel comfortable with her, but would be cautious approaching anyone new. Just do research on the person’s qualifications and experience.

Thanks for the information.

Hi Justin,

I do not intend to have revision surgery on my knee. Once was enough!

I know some folks who have had the dry needling done and say it helps tremendously. God bless you and praying.

I have and continue to do dry needling it has been extremely helpful had RTS and TKR

I will from experience also recommend when looking for a physical therapy place fine a place that you see same therapist every visit and that they are a PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS and are credentialed in dry needling. I am very fortunate to have mine. He is young now 32 I started with him 6 years ago rehabbed me from RTS, TKR, CMC surgeries and other issues. He also is a professor part time. Great therapist and teacher

I swear by PT, and OT. I have ehlers danlos, and c-ptsd, both types of arthritis, so have had too many surgeries to count. PT, OT, both using dry needling at different sites, for quads, glutes, cervical, shoulder, cranial muscles, trigger points has never ever harmed me or hindered, only helped in my ongoing progress and/or recoveries post-op.

Still confused,is dry needling for pain or mobility or both?
Thanks

@nonnahelen dry needling is for many things. Pain, mobility, anxiety, to break muscle patterns like the damage we cause by slouching, thats just an example, and/or when we want to build new muscle patters like joint replacemen therapy, or back surgery, simple training for a walk or run. The uses and applications are pretty endless. Dry needling was developed by a cardiologist believe it or not. The idea is to bring blood flow and other inflammatory helpers to a specific site and also to mimic the process muscles go through when they are worked out. Inflamation gets a bad rap however it is not all bad. The inflamatory response is how the body heals and often grows. I mean good growth, like new nerve pathways and stronger musculature and the like. When muscles are worked out, tiny, itty-bitty tears occur in the muscle fibers. That's what we feel after a good work out. Not pain per say, but the muscles telling you they got a good workout. The body's response to that, to the microscopic tears in the fibers of muscle, is what helps build up muscle tissue making them more strong. So dry needling mimics those tiny tears, but it can be used for trigger points, anxiety, muscle patterns like not activating, and the body does the rest, in response. It's such a great tool I think. It helps me a lot.