How Dry Needling can help in injury recovery

What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a technique for the treatment of pain and movement impairments. The technique uses a "dry" needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle. Sometimes the treatment may include electrical stimulation in combination with the dry needle technique.

Dry needling is not acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists.

What makes Dry Needling different from Acupuncture?

Dry needling relies on the practitioners knowledge of skeletal and neuroanatomy. This knowledge allows one to identify damaged and sensitive tissues, taut bands, and trigger points as well as injured and overused tissues. Physical therapists trained in this technique utilize an examination that includes movement analysis, orthopedic evaluation, and a neurological workup that includes myotomal and dermatomal testing.

Acupuncture is an ancient traditional Chinese technique that utilizes the knowledge of meridians. This focus allows an acupuncturist to work on a person's inner balance, energy, qi, and one's life-force. Work up and exam includes physical, tongue, and pulse examination. Traditional acupuncture has been widely studied and practiced for thousands of years.

What should be expected from Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is performed by a trained and certified physical therapist and is a safe treatment technique. After a thorough examination this treatment option may be discussed with patient as a viable treatment option.

The area of treatment is thoroughly sanitized and the therapist uses single use acupuncture needles. Depending on the area being treated the application of the needles may take 10 minutes and is applied in and around the affected treatment area. The treatment time is usually around 20 minutes.

Sometimes we add electrical stimulation or e-stim, an electrical current transferred through the dry needle that can help accelerate the pain-relief process.

What does Dry Needling treat?

Dry needling treats muscle tissue, and its goal is to reduce pain, inactivate trigger points and restore function. Typical conditions that can be treated by dry needling include:

• Neck and back pain

• Myofascial pain

• Tendonitis

• Tennis elbow

• Plantar fasciitis

• Trigger points

• TMJ

• Shoulder impingement

• Joint problems

• Headaches and migraines

Does Dry Needling hurt?

Dry needles are very thin, so the insertion of the needle into the skin is typically painless. The needle insertion into the muscle may cause an initial muscle twitch in the affected area which might cause some momentary discomfort. Once treatment begins the patient will feel no pain.

Due to the nature of the treatment and desired outcomes, a patient may experience some mild soreness after treatment. This is to be expected as part of the healing process. The soreness usually lasts only 24 hours.

Pritchette Physical Therapy has trained and certified Dry Needling physical therapists. If you would like to explore this treatment option, please contact our office at 480-785-5415 to schedule an appointment.

Great Stretch for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves inflammation and irritation of a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the ball of the foot. An injury can occur when repeated weight bearing activities cause strain along the plantar fascia. It is an overuse injury that can happen to anyone but is more prevalent in runners or those who are on their feet for long periods each day.

Risk Factors that Contribute to Plantar Fasciitis

• Poor foot and gait mechanics

• Obesity

• Age ranging from 40-60

• Improper footwear or worn-out footwear

• Tight Achilles tendon and Gastrocnemius/Soleus muscle

• Prolonged standing on hard surfaces

How you can treat Plantar Fasciitis

• Icing

• Anti-Inflammatory medication

• Physical Therapy

• Orthotics

• Night Splinting

Try this great Plantar Fascia Stretch

What to Expect with Total Knee Replacement Physical Therapy

Pritchette Physical Therapy treats many conditions related to the knee, this includes post-surgical total knee replacement surgery. Here is what to expect with total knee replacement physical therapy.

What is a Total Knee Replacement (TKR)?

A Total Knee Replacement (TKR), also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to replace the weight bearing surfaces of the knee joint to improve knee function and reduce knee pain.  It is commonly performed when the knee joint experiences rheumatoid arthritis and/or some form of knee joint deformity.

Partial Knee Replacements (PKR) are performed when it is reasonable to achieve a positive outcome with addressing only certain knee joint surfaces.

When is a Total Knee Replacement Surgery Performed?

The surgical procedure is performed by an Orthopedic surgeon after more conservative forms of treatment have been explored.  This includes physical therapy, oral anti-inflammatories, and injectables medication.

How should a person prepare for Total Knee Replacement Surgery?

Pre-surgical physical therapy is an excellent way to prepare for a Total Knee Replacement surgery.  It helps address pain and improves strength and stability of the knee joint prior to the procedure.  It also helps speed up the recovery process after the surgical procedure.

How long is the recovery process for a Total Knee Replacement?

Most procedures are performed in outpatient facilities, meaning the patient can return home same day.  While recovery time is on a case per case basis, one can expect to expect significant return to function within 4-6 weeks and a return to full activity within 2-3 months.

What restrictions should one expect after Total Knee Replacement?

While this will be communicated to the patient by the orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist, most patients return to full activity with no restrictions.  The patient should communicate what activities they would like to return to with their orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist to see if any precautions should be taken

What should be expected from physical therapy after Total Knee Replacement?

Most Total Knee Replacement surgeries are performed “outpatient” with a patient returning home that day.  Outpatient physical therapy is scheduled usually about a week after the procedure. 

For weeks 1 – 4, the goal is to reduce post-surgical swelling, increase range of motion of the knee, and begin light strengthening and stabilization of the knee.

For weeks 5-10, the goal is to achieve maximum range of motion of the knee, increase strengthening activities, and begin process to return to basic activity function.

For weeks 10 and on, the goal is to gradually return the patient to recreational activity function, maintain strength and endurance, and return patient to full function.

Ahwatukee Community Spotlight: Consult with Nurse Practitioner Oblas

We are fortunate to be able to serve Ahwatukee for your physical therapy, massage therapy, and personal training needs. There are many other great services and people that serve our community. Today we put the spotlight on Agnes Oblas, Nurse Practitioner.

You may already be familiar with Agnes, she was owner of New Paths to Healthcare and served the Ahwatukee community. She decided to close her practice in 2018, but couldn’t stay retired long. “Throughout these past couple of years, I’ve thought often of the people who were my patients and I’ve often wondered how they were doing, especially during COVID,” Oblas said. She asked herself, ‘Where do people go to get answers to their specific medical questions about themselves during these rough times? I mean, not just answers about the virus, but answers to their concerns regarding their own personal health in general”. She recognized that people were beginning to get familiar with telehealth and that making her years of experience available for consultations could help.

With her over 40 years of experience and connections to the medical field she felt it was time to open her new online telehealth business Consult with Nurse Practitioner Oblas. Agnes has established Consult with Nurse Practitioner Oblas as an avenue for patients to get answers and discuss medical issues which are confusing or problematic. It is an opportunity for patients to fully learn as much as they want in a relaxed and confidential environment. Learn more about Agnes Oblas, NP and her consulting services by visiting Consult with Nurse Practitioner Oblas.

Open House October 14th at our Ahwatukee Foothills Location

Pritchette Physical Therapy Ahwatukee Foothills is celebrating its 1 year anniversary and you are invited to join us! Join us for our Anniversary Celebration on October 14th from 5-7pm. We will be providing food, drink & fun door prizes. RSVP below to get entered into our event drawing!

Aquatic Therapy is a Great Option to Improve Balance

Have you fallen recently or felt unstable? Fall injuries are one of the biggest risks as we age. Here are some sobering statistics:

• Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older. And consist of approx 9,500 deaths per year

• Risk of falls increases with age and is greater for women than men.

• 1/3 of people over 65 fall annually.

• 2/3 of those who fall will fall again within 6 months.

• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries.

• In 2010, 2.3 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in emergency departments and more than 662,000 of these patients were hospitalized.

Maintaining strength and balance takes regular exercise. The challenge is that when you are unsteady, you avoid putting yourself in situations that put you at risk, so you continue to get worse.

Aquatic Therapy is a great option to improve balance in a safe, comfortable environment. Exercising in the water is helpful for many reasons:

• Water causes buoyancy and reduces the stress on your feet, knees, and hips.

• Water moves and "pushes" on the body increasing the balance challenges.

• The water allows you to challenge yourself more as there is minimal risk to injury when balance is lost.

Pritchette Physical Therapy offers Aquatic Therapy to help improve your balance. Contact our office at 480-785-5415 to schedule your appointment.