People in the Chattanooga area now have access to a new type of physical therapy treatment called trigger-point dry needling. Hannah Norton, PT, DPT, OCS, and Chris Myers, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert.MDT, physical therapists with BenchMark Physical Therapy, completed the course certifying them to provide dry needling treatment to help alleviate pain in the lower body and lower spine.
Dry needling is a process that uses tiny needles inserted into what Norton describes as “myofascial trigger points” found in the muscles loosening them and often providing almost instant relief from pain. Overall, the treatment can provide relief from muscle pain and soreness, increase flexibility and help muscles relax.
“This technique, while still relatively new, has already been shown to be very effective for a variety of diagnoses,” said Dr. Norton. “Many people confuse it with acupuncture because they use similar needles, but there are important differences between the two. Dry needling is rooted in current Western medical knowledge and not ancient Chinese methodology.” In addition to this new certification, Dr. Norton is also an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS), a highly-advanced certification that makes her among the top 1 percent of therapists nationwide.
Dr. Norton offers trigger-point dry needling through the BenchMark’s Hixson location; Dr. Myers performs dry needling in the BenchMarkFort Oglethorpe location.