Our Services

Dry needling is a skilled technique performed by a physical therapist using filiform needles to penetrate the skin and/or underlying tissues to affect a change in body structures and functions for the evaluation and management of neuromusculoskeletal conditions, pain, movement impairments, and disability.

Dry needling contrasts with “wet needling” as this is the use of a hollow hypodermic needle to inject substances such as a saline solution, Botox or corticosteroids.

Needles utilized for dry needling are typically much smaller than hypodermic needles and are referred to in terms of diameter and length rather than “gauge”. They are solid rather than hollow and have a rounded tip as opposed to the beveled, cutting edge tip of a hypodermic needle.

Intramuscular stimulation, trigger point dry needling, functional dry needling all utilized by physical therapists to improve and restore function.

Localized twitch response is a localized, reflexive response of a dysfunctional area of muscle to palpation. This is a very important clinical feature that is a physiologic effect of dry needling.

Unlike acupuncture where the needles are inserted along meridian lines to stimulate energy flow within the body and affect the body’s organs, dry needling is used to treat cases of chronic and acute pain without the use of medication, surgical procedures, etc. by inserting the same filiform needle into trigger points to elicit a response that releases the trigger point and restores normal function.

Acupuncture is also based on ancient Chinese medicine and is based on the idea of balance and restoring proper flow of energy throughout the body. During acupuncture, the needles are usually left in place for 15 to 30 minutes. It is most often used to treat internal ailments, including digestive problems, insomnia, stress and chronic pain.

MI PT practice Act allowances for dietary recommendations from PT to: → Screen for diet and nutritional issues → Provide information on diet & nutritional issues to patients, clients and the community within the scope of PT practice → Refer to nutrition and dietary medical professionals when the required advice & education lie outside the education level of the PT These are also the topics covered during a nutritional physical therapy evaluation + health & fitness routines to compliment your specific lifestyle and needs.

§ According to an accreditation agency PTs should be qualified to discuss nutrition and provide nutritional advice to patients. § Any healthcare professional can offer nutritional information for general health The legal issue really comes when you begin to offer individualized or disease-specific nutrition counseling

Manual medicine continues to be one of the oldest continuing forms of health care. The University of Michigan’s Physical Therapy Doctoral Program includes formal training in manual medicine via Dr. Greenman’s teachings from Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Andrew Still M.D. was the founder of manual medicine as we know it today. He was a medical physician trained in the preceptor fashion of the day, meaning he was taught by another experienced practitioner, to facilitate the application of a theory and/or technique. Dr. Still was disenchanted with the medical practice of the day which led him to formulate a new medical philosophy that he termed “osteopathic medicine” and he built it on both ancient medical truths and current medical successes. D.D. Palmer was a grocer turned self-educated manipulative practitioner and is the founder of chiropractic medicine. He believed in the “innate intelligence” of the brain and central nervous system and believed that alterations in the spinal column (subluxations) altered neural function, causing disease.

The hands-on training through the UM DPT program, provides education with specific maneuvers to deliver osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) to treat conditions that affect every system in the body, including the musculoskeletal system, digestive system, nervous system and immune system. By realigning the body and restoring balance to bones and muscles, OMT allows your entire body to work better as a whole.

OMT is the generic term used to refer to many different manipulation techniques and can be used to treat structural and functional issues in the bones, joints, tissues and muscles of the body. It becomes part of our therapeutic “tool kit” to and is used to treat the relationship between the neuromusculoskeletal system and the rest of the body to restore functionality and/or remove barriers to motion and healing. It helps us to achieves and maintain patient health as part of a whole system of evaluation and treatment and is used for all body parts from neck/cervical to shoulder, to elbow/wrist, spine including rib cage dysfunctions, pelvis, all the way to the foot and toes.

Physical therapy includes all of the services listed here as appropriate & necessary and agreed upon during your initial evaluation.

A physical therapist is a licensed healthcare professional who helps patients with injuries and chronic health conditions regain their range of motion, manage their pain and improve their quality of life. For example, if you need help: - managing or eliminating lower back pain - recovering from a joint replacement surgery - rehabilitation from any surgery - help with sports injuries - improve balance deficits among so many other physical dysfunctions, you would go to a physical therapist.

There you would have an initial evaluation, which is when you and your therapist would discuss what’s bothering you, how it happened, etc. followed by a biomechanical evaluation to assess where your movements are being restricted or injured and causing you uncomfortable symptoms.

Then a discussion would be had regarding treatment recommendations to eliminate/reduce the symptoms and restore your function. Those treatments could include a wide variety of combinations of interventions as appropriate & necessary within our state practice act, skill set and your particular needs such as manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular re-education, manual or mechanical traction, etc. Through continuing education additional certifications are earned to deliver advanced treatment options for patients such as dry needling, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, Parkinson’s movement therapy, etc.

Instrument assisted soft tissue treatment is a physical therapy treatment that regenerates health soft tissues (muscles, tendons, etc.) and eliminates or reduces unwanted scar tissue/tissue changes that may be causing pain or movement restrictions.

It is non-invasive, which means there are no injections or incisions. Instruments are applied topically (on top of the skin) to locate dysfunctional (unhealthy) tissue, and to transfer mild to moderate pressure to the underlying soft tissue structures. It stimulates tissue turnover, scar tissue resorption, and the regeneration of tendons, muscles and other soft tissue structures. This can include cupping as well.

ASTYM is typically provided twice weekly for four to five weeks (about 9 total treatment sessions) and is done in conjunction with eccentric loading, stretching, and functional exercises to assist the tissues with realignment. Continuation of work, athletic and recreational activities throughout the treatment process is encouraged as it promotes optimal healing. Cupping is typically performed as needed and more along the lines of a manual myofascial release.

ASTYM is very effective is restoring movement and reducing pain from soft tissue injury or dysfunction. It provides excellent results with a small number of treatments; normal movement patterns are restored, pain is relieved, and the ability to do things returns.

Diagnoses that respond well to the ASTYM treatment are: trigger finger carpal tunnel syndrome lateral epicondylitis shoulder pain plantar fasciitis chronic ankle sprains Achilles tendonitis patellar tendonitis post-surgical scarring (including post-mastectomy) SI & low back pain