Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is a highly specialized form of medical massage therapy that utilizes treatment protocols to find and release trigger points in muscle and tendon that are causing pain and dysfunction in the body. Neuromuscular Therapy is a highly effective and efficient modality for pain relief, and is based on treatment specificity NOT depth of pressure. While the majority of sessions use firm pressure to release the trigger points, we always make sure we are working within your appropriate pain threshold – on the infamous “1 out of 10 pain scale”, we ask that if you experience anything above a 7, you let us know and we will decrease our pressure. If your pain reaches the 8,9, or 10 mark, your tissue will tighten up in response to the pain, and it is counterproductive to the treatment. The first session will always be the most intense, as we are directly treating these areas for the first time, but extreme pain during your session is not our goal! We ask that you speak up and not grit your teeth and bear it – No pain, No gain is NOT our philosophy!

Neuromuscular Therapy treatments work to re-educate contracted muscle tissue, deactivate trigger points, correct myofascial holding patterns, and decrease pain. Most of these patterns have either developed steadily over time, or are a direct result of trauma and injury to the body (Whiplash Syndrome in an MVA, for example).  Because of this, a series of sessions once per week is advised so the tissue learns to “remember” the new way of functional movement – one with decreased pain and improved mobility. We generally ask that clients receive a 60 minute session once per week for 3-4 sessions, the re-evaluate the progress. If the client and the therapist feel that changes are happening,  we continue treatment and schedule accordingly. If not, we refer the client back to their doctor or physical therapist for additional avenues of treatment.

You may have heard of a treatment called dry needling and wondered what exactly it is or if it’s something that may be right for you.

While the name of the procedure may sound intimidating, dry needling is safe, minimally discomforting and often an effective technique for patients with certain musculoskeletal presentations. Dry needling is a treatment performed by skilled, trained physical therapists, certified in the procedure. A thin monofilament needle penetrates the skin and treats underlying muscular trigger points for the management of neuro musculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.

So, what is a trigger point? A trigger point is a local contracture or tight band in a muscle fiber that can disrupt function, restrict range of motion, refer pain or cause local tenderness. When dry needling is applied to a dysfunctional muscle or trigger point, it can decrease banding or tightness, increase blood flow, and reduce local and referred pain.

It’s important to note dry needling is not the same as acupuncture. It uses similar tools, but that’s where the similarities end. Dry needling is performed by different practitioners with different training. Acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine, while dry needling is rooted in Western medicine and evaluation of pain patterns, posture, movement impairments, function and orthopedic tests.

Dry needling treats muscle tissue, and its goal is to reduce pain, inactivate trigger points and restore function. It rarely is a standalone procedure. Rather, it often is part of a broader physical therapy approach incorporating other traditional physical therapy interventions into treatment.