Year: 2016

What is Dry Needling?

What is dry needling?

  • Dry needling is a treatment involving a thin needle, used to target a painful trigger point.  A trigger point is a painful muscle “knot” that can limit normalized movement and make every day tasks painful and difficult.

How does it work?

  • The therapist feels for the trigger point and then inserts the needle. The needle helps to release the tightness, stimulate blood flow, and promote relaxation to the aggravated muscle.

Is it like acupuncture?

  • Though both treatments use a thin needle, the dry needling treatment tends to be deeper.  Humans have thick, large muscles and if needed the needle can go as deep as those large muscles and be quite uncomfortable.  Where acupuncture treatment tends to be more skin level and cause less discomfort.  There is no medicine used in the dry needling treatment, it is not an injection.  The treatment can be uncomfortable and painful at times but is generally tolerated well.  The therapist is always present and monitoring patient symptoms.  The therapist will talk you through what to expect before deciding if this is an appropriate treatment for you.

How long does it last?

  • Dry needling is one possible treatment option to be used in conjunction with massage, exercise, heat/ice to help manage pain.  Results can vary from person to person and can range from very short term (hours-days) to more permanent effects.  Generally, no more than 3-4 treatments will be done if no positive results are obtained.

How much does this cost?

  • Dry needling treatment is covered by most health insurance plans.

Should I try dry needling?

  • Dry needling can be helpful in treatment of conditions such as: myofascial pain, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, IT band syndrome, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, and chronic neck and back pain.  Talk to your therapist if you think this could be a helpful treatment for you.  Do not consider dry needling if you have a fear of needles, are pregnant, immunocompromised or have systemic infections.

    Dry Needling
    Dry Needling

The Real Weight of Obesity: What It’s Really Doing to Your Body

Obesity is a complex health disorder in which excess weight gain puts an individual at high risk for osteoarthritis and several life-threatening medical conditions. Although the obesity epidemic is currently affecting millions of Americans across the country, each person’s battle with obesity begins right at home with personal lifestyle choices.

Contributors to obesity include:

  • Diet including intake of high-calorie foods
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Genetics (to an extent)
  • Some illnesses
  • Lack of sleep
  • Certain medication use (such as steroids)

Effects of obesity may include (but are not limited to):

  • High blood pressure
  • Osteoarthritis – breakdown of cartilage between bones
  • Diabetes
  • Difficulty sleeping and breathing problems
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Stroke
  • Depression and social isolation
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Increased healthcare-related costs

Step-by-step on how to Fight Obesity:

  1. Drink lots of water! Keep your body hydrated throughout the day.
  2. Eat right! Fill your diet with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins; avoid foods with processed sugar and high animal fat content.
  3. Get active! Even a daily 10-minute walk can help. Challenge yourself by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
  4. Stay active! The Physical Activity Guidelines for America recommends at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week to stay heart healthy and to add 2 additional days of strength training.
  5. Stay motivated! Find friends or family to share your experience with. Weight loss is a marathon not a sprint, losing 1-2 pounds per week is a healthy pace.

**Remember!! Every pound lost is a success! Small amounts of weight loss have been shown to have substantial benefits including reducing knee and hip pain from arthritis, increasing blood flow through the body and heart, and improving overall quality of life!

Medicare 2016 Physical Therapy Cap Information

The physical therapy cap limit for 2016 is as follows:

1. The first cap is $1,960
2. The second cap is $3,700

After you reach the first cap, your physical therapist must convey medical necessity of continued physical therapy services in the medical documentation. As long as continued physical therapy is considered medically necessary by Medicare, further physical therapy treatment will be covered by Medicare. The physical therapy cap restarts in 2017.

If you have any questions, please contact Harbor Physical Therapy at 443-524-0442.