Pinnacle Performance

Dry Needling

Posted by: PinnaclePerformance on September 4, 2014

Now included in the scope of practice for licensed physical therapists in Utah

Last week, Utah finalized a law that allows physical therapists to perform trigger point dry needling.

Trigger points are essentially painful “knots” that affect the muscle’s ability to efficiently perform, and often create referral patterns of pain elsewhere in the body. Dry needling is the practice of using an acupuncture needle to release those tight bands of muscle. It is different than acupuncture in where and why the needles are placed. Acupuncturists use energetic meridian lines in order to move qi through the body, while physical therapists place the needles directly into

the “knot” of muscle in order to release and reset the muscle. The needle often causes a muscle cramping sensation, but the needle is typically only in the muscle for less than a few minutes. The immediate change in joint range of motion, decreased pain, and muscle performance is often dramatic.

Dry needling can boost the effects of the excellent muscular stability training that you are already doing at Pinnacle. Our physical therapist neighbors in Colorado have been doing dry needling for the last 8 years, and their patients have been raving about the profound effects that they have experienced. Jenn Pine, DPT just finished an intensive dry needling training and is performing dry needling at the clinic. Amy Broekemeier, DPT plans to take a course in November.

Please contact the front desk if you are interested in a dry needling session with Jenn Pine DPT.

CoreAlign with Tessa Furano Hale, DPT

Posted by: ContactDesign on October 23, 2013

Tessa CoreAlign At Pinnacle Performance, we encourage all our clinical staff and instructors to continue their education and bring new ideas and perspectives back to the clinic for the benefit of our community.

Recently, Tessa Furano Hale, DPT completed a certification course in San Francisco and is now a CoreAlign Faculty Member through Balanced Body. This means she is currently the only instructor in the state of Utah qualified to teach movement practitioners the ways of the CoreAlign apparatus.

What that means for you is that Tessa has a whole new repertoire of CoreAlign exercises to add to your training regimen here at Pinnacle Performance. In order to introduce you to this exciting equipment and get you ready for our soon-to-be-scheduled CoreAlign group classes, Tessa has opened up some time on her schedule for Individual Sessions on Saturdays beginning this coming Saturday, October 26. In the interest of spreading the word about CoreAlign to as many people as possible, she will be offering these special Saturday CoreAlign sessions at half of her usual rate.