Dry Needling for Orthopedic Injuries | MedStar Health
Close up photo of a medical professional giving a dry needling treatment to a patient.

This is an effective physical therapy modality used in conjunction with other interventions in the treatment of orthopedic injuries with a component of myofascial pain and dysfunction.

 

A medical professional gives a dry needling treatment to a patient.
A physical therapist with specialized postgraduate training uses dry needling as part of their treatment protocol with appropriate patients. A solid filament needle is inserted into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point. A trigger point consists of multiple contraction knots, which are related to the production and maintenance of the pain cycle. When inserting the needle into the muscle, it is essential to elicit twitch responses, which are spinal cord reflexes. The twitch response is both diagnostic and therapeutic, as it is the first step in breaking the pain cycle.

Many different musculoskeletal problems can be treated with dry needling. These include, but are not limited to neck, back and shoulder pain, arm pain (tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, golfer’s elbow), headache to include migraine and tension type headache, jaw pain, and buttock and leg pain (sciatica, hamstring strains, groin strains, Achilles tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis).

 

 

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Our locations

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MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Lafayette Centre

1120 20th St., NW
Bldg. 1 North
Floor 1
Washington, D.C., 20036

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Irving Street – Orthopedic Center

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
102 Irving St., NW
First Floor
Washington, D.C., 20010

NRH Rehabilitation Network at 19th Street

1145 19th St. NW
Ste. 403
Washington, DC, 20036

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Irving Street – Neurorehabilitation Center

102 Irving St., NW
MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
First Floor
Washington, DC, 20010

NRH Rehabilitation Network at K Street

2021 K St. NW
Ste. 215
Washington, D.C., 20006

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Waugh Chapel

2410 Evergreen Rd.
Ste. 100
Gambrills, MD 21054

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Loch Raven — Orthopedic and Hand Center

5445 Loch Raven Blvd
MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
Smyth Bldg., Ste. 403A
Baltimore, MD 21239

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at South Baltimore

2900 South Hanover St.
Ste. 102
Baltimore, MD 21225

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Waverly

1100 East 33rd St.
Ste. 105
Baltimore, MD 21218

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Rosedale – Orthopedic and Hand Center

9101 Franklin Square Dr.
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Medical Arts Bldg., Ste. 205
Baltimore, MD 21237

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Hunt Valley

2 Loveton Circle
Suite G-100
Sparks, MD 21152

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Timonium

2118 Greenspring Dr.
Ste. 200
Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Perry Hall

5009 Honeygo Center Dr.,
Ste. 209
Perry Hall, MD 21128

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Waldorf – Pembrooke Square

11325 Pembrooke Square
Ste. 115, 2nd Fl.
Waldorf, MD 20603

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Westminster

412 Malcolm Dr.
Ste. 200
Westminster, MD 21157

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Bel Air – Athletic Club

658 Boulton St.
Bel Air Athletic Club
Ste. A
Bel Air, MD 21014

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Ellicott City

9501 Old Annapolis Rd.,
Dorsey Hall Medical Center
Ste. 125
Ellicott City, MD 21042

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Chevy Chase – South

5454 Wisconsin Ave.
11th Floor
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

NRH Rehabilitation Network at Chevy Chase – North

5530 Wisconsin Ave.
Ste. 960
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

NRH Rehabilitation Network at Germantown

20500 Seneca Meadows Pkwy.
Johns Hopkins Wellness Center
Ste. 101
Germantown, MD 20876

NRH Rehabilitation Network at Wheaton

2730 University Blvd. W.
Ste. 812
Wheaton, MD 20902

NRH Rehabilitation Network at Bethesda

6410 Rockledge Dr.
Ste. 600
Bethesda, MD 20817

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Olney

18109 Prince Philip Dr.
Ste. 155 & 355
Olney, MD 20832

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Brandywine

13950 Brandywine Rd.
Brandywine, MD 20613

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Mitchellville

12158 Central Ave.
Mitchellville, MD 20721

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Hyattsville

6401 America Blvd.
Ste. 204
Hyattsville, MD 20782

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Oxon Hill

6196 Oxon Hill Rd.,
Ste. 450
Oxon Hill, MD 20745

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Hollywood

24035 Three Notch Rd.
Phillip J. Bean Medical Center
Hollywood, MD 20636

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Alexandria

6355 Walker Lane.
Ste. 512
Alexandria, VA 22310

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Ballston-Marymount

4040 N. Fairfax Dr.
Ste. 120
Arlington, VA 22203

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at Lorton

9455 Lorton Market St.
Ste. 201
Lorton, VA 22079

MedStar Health: Physical Therapy at McLean

1420 Beverly Road
Ste. 210
McLean, VA 22101