Tampa's Expert in Dry Needling
A targeted treatment for musculoskeletal pain. Eliminate trigger points and restore range of motion.
Over 35,000 Treatments Performed
Conditions Dry Needling Is Helpful For:
- Back / Neck Pain
- Sciatica
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Shoulder Pain (rotator cuff, labrum)
- Tennis/Golfers Elbow
- Knee pain (meniscus, bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Hip and Gluteal Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- TMJ
- Muscular Strains/Ligament Sprains
- Athletic Performance
- and more..
Eric S.
This guy is a magician! If I could give 10 stars I would. I’ve had shoulder pain for close to two years now and have literally tried everything to remedy it but have been unsuccessful. (Rest, PT, Massage, Cupping, you name it) After 4 treatments with Dr. Josh, my shoulder is starting to feel like normal again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
The fastest way to book a visit is through our online schedule below.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is the use of fine needles to stimulate the repair of highly sensitive muscle or fascia fibers that are causing pain. Whether the result of sitting at a desk for too long, overuse or trauma from a sport or other activity, or from day-to-day stress, injury to muscle and connective tissue is the most common cause and contributor to pain.
The needle gently stimulates the highly reactive fibers, or trigger points, along with surrounding tissue, often eliciting a “light twitch” (reflex) response and provoking the sensitive fibers to respond by protecting and repairing themselves.
What to Expect
- The procedure is quick, you're in and out of the office in about 30 minutes.
- A typical course of treatment is one to two times a week for 4-6 weeks, followed by a re-evaluation.
- As with everything in the body, it depends on the severity of the problem and how a patient’s body responds to the procedure.
- Dry Needling treatment can and often results in a complete absence or control of symptoms, even in severe conditions that have been present for yeas.
Dry Needling sounds like Acupuncture. What’s the difference?
While both acupuncture and dry needling use acupuncture needles to puncture the skin and create changes in the body, there is a difference in technique.The intention of why you are puncturing the skin with these needles is the difference. Dry needling is not Traditional Chinese medicine, which is what most acupuncturists practice in America.
In short, dry needling is focused on restoring healthy anatomy and physiology through stimulation of injured local muscle tissue, while acupuncture seeks to normalize the flow along meridians. Many sites for dry needling overlap with acupuncture points (while many do not), but the needle techniques are very different between the two practices.
During a dry needling treatment, unlike an acupuncture treatment we are not needling points because they relate to an internal organ structure or because of their said effects on any energetic system within the body. During a dry needling treatment Dr. Josh is always focused on releasing trigger points or to stimulating motor points at the neuromuscular bundle, for the purpose of improving musculoskeletal function.
What’s the difference between an acupuncturist who does dry needling vs. a physical therapist who does dry needling?
The difference is the amount of training and experience with sticking needling in people. Dr. Josh Hanson, DACM is by far one of the most experienced dry needling practitioners in the state of Florida – having performed well north of 30,000 dry needling procedures over the past almost decade.
As an acupuncturist my only job is to needling patients all day every day. We spend over 3000 hours in school before we can needle a patient. On top of that, I’ve been seeing 15-20 patients a day for years. There’s literally no way a physical therapist with a very short weekend course could accumulate the experience I have.
For a physical therapist to get certified in dry needling they only have to take a very short weekend course then they are allowed to stick needles in people. If you’re lucky they will treat a couple of patients a day with needling, while they do all of the other modalities they use.
In the end, there is no possible way a physical therapist will have the same competence and needling skills as an acupuncturits.
Financial Information
- Initial Exam & Treatment $150
- Follow Up Treatments Range from $75-$125 per visit (depending on complexity of your case)
- We are out of network with all insurance. Payment is required at time of treatment.