Jason Harper, PT, DPT, Cert. DN

Dry needling in St. George

A certified therapist, a thin filament needle, and the trigger point that has been driving your pain the whole time.

Call (435) 216-7929 Request an appointment

What a needle does that a thumb cannot

Dry needling uses thin, solid filament needles to reach myofascial trigger points directly. The technique is grounded in Western neuromuscular science: the needle goes into the taut band of muscle that is referring pain and restricting movement, and the muscle responds by letting go. That is a different mechanism from acupuncture, which shares the needle and very little else. At Fortify it is performed by a therapist with certification specifically in dry needling, as one part of a plan rather than as a standalone treatment.

What the session is actually like

Thirty to sixty minutes on a treatment table. Your therapist palpates for the trigger points first, because finding the right one matters more than the needle itself, then inserts fine sterile needles. You may feel a pinch going in, a deep ache once it is there, and sometimes a twitch in the muscle. The twitch is a good sign. Afterward, expect twenty four to forty eight hours of soreness in the area, close to what a hard workout leaves behind.

Dry needling at 792 S 3000 E, Unit 104, St. George. Call or text (435) 216-7929.

Treatment tables with bolsters and a supply cart at Fortify Physical Therapy in St. George

Six things it is for

Immediate pain relief

Most people feel a change in the room, before they get off the table.

Improved range of motion

The joint moves further once the trigger point stops guarding it.

Enhanced recovery time

Used alongside your programme rather than instead of it.

Decreased muscle tension

Releases the chronic tightness that keeps pulling you back.

Reduced inflammation

Part of why the ache settles over the following days.

Improved blood flow

More circulation into tissue that has been quietly starved of it.

What we treat with it

If yours is not on this list, call and ask. Dry needling is rarely the whole plan anyway, and the assessment comes first either way.

Neck and back pain
Shoulder impingement
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow
Hip and knee pain
Headaches and migraines
Plantar fasciitis
Sciatica
Fibromyalgia
Post-surgical pain
Sports injuries
Repetitive strain injuries

Before you book it

You feel the needle go in as a pinch, and often a deep ache or a visible twitch in the muscle. The twitch is the response we want, not a warning sign. Expect some soreness for the next twenty four to forty eight hours that feels like soreness after a hard workout.

The needle is the only thing they share. Dry needling comes out of Western neuromuscular science and targets myofascial trigger points, the specific knots driving your pain and limiting your movement. Acupuncture works from a different tradition and a different map of the body.

Thirty to sixty minutes on a treatment table. Your therapist palpates for the trigger points first, then inserts fine sterile needles into the ones that matter for your problem.

Often paired with

Manual therapy The Recovery Room Conditions we treat All services