Dry Needling
Dry Needling In St. Petersburg and Tampa For Pain Relief & Recovery
Target Painful Muscle Knots, Improve Mobility, and Accelerate Recovery with Skilled Dry Needling at Alliance Regen & Rehab
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry Needling or “Trigger Point Dry Needling” is a technique in which a filiform needle or “dry needle” is inserted directly into the skin and muscle where the myofascial trigger point is located in order to reduce pain, normalize tone, and correct dysfunction. A myofascial trigger point is a hyperirritable spot within the skeletal muscle unit that is usually painful in nature that causes localized pain, pain referral, movement dysfunction, altered firing patterns, accelerated fatiguability, and delayed recovery.
Thee goal of dry needling, as with other techniques and strategies we use, is to restore homeostasis in the muscle and body. A sometimes desired response is felt and elicited that is called a Local Twitch Response (LTR). This twitch response can immediately reduce pain and it also is great feedback of an accurate needle placement. This LTR response is an involuntary spinal cord reflex in which the muscle and motor unit contract and relax quickly. This can reproduce the patients pain which can be a helpful diagnostic tool for the practitioner. However, this twitch response is not always needed to get the desired result, especially in terms of latent trigger points, when targeting neural points, and combining needling with E-Stim. Dry needling is not limited to muscle either. It can be used to treat tendons, ligaments, and nerves to help reduce pain and expedite healing. It can also be used for headaches and swelling.
Physical Therapists can perform dry needling if trained and certified in the state of Florida. At Alliance Regen & Rehab, Dr. Brian Broussard, DPT is both trained and certified in dry needling and has 3 years of experience utilizing dry needling for his patients. Dr. John Broussard, our osteopathic physician also as the ability to use dry needling in addition to “wet needle” procedures.
Please contact our office at 727-258-7224 for additional information, cost, and for appointment availability.
Conditions We Treat with Dry Needling
Our physical therapists in St. Petersburg and Tampa utilize dry needling to help treat various injuries and locations on the body. Dry needling isn’t just for athletes – it’s for anyone dealing with aches, muscle tightness, mobility restrictions, or movement-related pain.
We commonly use dry needling to treat:
- Neck Pain and Headaches
- Shoulder pain and shoulder impingement
- Tendinitis and overuse injuries
- Sciatica and piriformis syndrome
- Jaw pain
- Post-surgical recovery
- Muscle tightness and spasms
- Ankle sprains
- Patellar tendonitis
- IT Band Syndrome
- Sports Injuries
- Recovery
Why Choose Alliance Regen & Rehab
- All needling performed by licensed physical therapists certified in Dry Needling.
- Integrated with hands-on therapy, movement retraining, and strength work.
- Personalized treatment based on full-body movement analysis.
- Safe, effective, and backed by clinical evidence
- Never an adverse response
Now Offering Dry Needling In St. Petersburg and Tampa
At Alliance, we offer dry needling at both of our sports medicine and physical therapy clinics.
St. Petersburg Clinic
Located in Downtown St. Petersburg across from St. Petersburg Pier. Our clinic is located in the Plaza Tower, also known as the Morgan and Morgan building. We’re conveniently located to serve patients from Snell Isle, Old Northeast, Shore Acres, Gulfport, South Pasadena, Kenwood, and Treasure Island.
Tampa Clinic
Located inside of Pride Strength Training nearby Oldsmar and Westchase. Alliance Regen & Rehab – Tampa is conveniently located to serve patients from Westchase, Oldsmar, Citrus Park, Safety Harbor, East Lake, Carollwood, and South Tampa.
What to Expect From a Dry Needling Session?
- Your physical therapist will perform an evaluation first to determine if you’re a good candidate.
- Needling integrated into your physical therapy or recovery plan.
- Explanation on the feeling and technique used in your treatment.
- Sessions last between 10-25 minutes.
- May feel mild soreness, followed by improved mobility and relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
No dry needling is not painful. However it can be slightly uncomfortable for some people and in certain situations. If patients can handle a vaccine injection, they can easily handle a dry needling session. Most of the time, patient’s feel a slight ache and a twitch within the muscle. Very soon after, the ache dissipates to nothing and the the muscle feels relaxed.
Every patient is different in how the respond to dry needling. Typically at Alliance, we’re also utilizing other treatments to enhance results. Results can usually be felt after just one session of dry needling.
Dry needling and acupuncture may look similar — both use thin, sterile needles — but they are completely different in purpose, philosophy, and application.
Dry needling is:
A technique used by physical therapists and other medical professionals
Based on modern Western medicine, anatomy, and neuroscience
Focused on releasing muscle trigger points, reducing pain, and restoring function
Often integrated with strength training and rehab
Acupuncture is:
A traditional Chinese medicine technique
Based on restoring balance in the body’s energy flow or “Qi”
Uses mapped points along energy meridians
Typically used for systemic issues like stress, digestion, and general wellness
At Alliance Regen & Rehab, we use dry needling specifically to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement dysfunction as part of your overall physical therapy or recovery plan.