Dry needling is one of the many services we offer to address your musculoskeletal injury at  Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center on the east side of Cincinnati, OH.

Dry needling is a subcategory of Western Medical Acupuncture and is used in conjunction with other therapies to treat many pain syndromes. Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center has great clinical success using dry needling as one of our treatments.  

In the presence of neuromusculoskeletal issues and movement dysfunction, research supports that dry needling helps with pain control, reduces muscle tension, and facilitates an accelerated return to active rehabilitation.

dry needling

Conditions that respond well to Dry Needling:

  • Headaches
  • Neck Pain
  • Shoulder Pain (rotator cuff injuries, impingement, labral injuries, etc.)
  • Tennis/Golfers Elbow (medial/lateral epicondylitis)
  • Low Back Pain
  • Hip Pain
  • Ankle Sprains
  • Achilles Tendonitis
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Muscles Strains 
  • Overuse Injuries

Our chiropractors that are certified to practice dry needling include Dr. Will Cornett, Dr. Jessica Kowalski, and Dr. Jason Placeway.  

Our physical therapists that are certified to practice dry needling include Dr. Dave Stajbach, Dr. Ellen Franke, and Dr. Katie Nemann.

Dry Needling FAQ

Does dry needling hurt?

At Mt. Lookout Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center, patient comfort is a priority.  Dry needling is a minimally painful to non-painful technique that is effective in treating musculoskeletal injuries.  Our practitioners are highly skilled in their needling techniques and are sensitive to how the patients feel throughout the treatment.  Our dry needling techniques are gentle and effective and provide the greatest clinical benefit possible.  

How is dry needling different from acupuncture?

Dry needling is a subcategory of Western Medical Acupuncture.  Practitioners that use dry needlings are using the same needles used in acupuncture.  Dry needling focuses on a specific musculoskeletal region to address pain and dysfunction versus acupuncture which focuses on a broader systemic scale. Dry needling is used in conjunction with chiropractic care and/or physical therapy in treating the musculoskeletal system. 

Is dry needling covered by my health insurance?

Your health insurance will not cover dry needling.  Most health insurance will cover chiropractic care and physical therapy.  We do offer an affordable self-pay option.  At Mt. Lookout Chiropractic, we will do everything we can to help you navigate your insurance coverage and offer alternatives if services are not covered. 

Related research referenced on this page:

  • Mahmoudzadeh A, Rezaeian ZS, Karimi A, Dommerholt J. The effect of dry needling on the radiating pain in subjects with discogenic low-back pain: A randomized control trial. J Res Med Sci. 2016 Oct 18;21:86. doi: 10.4103/1735-1995.192502. PMID: 28163732; PMCID: PMC5244646.
  • Saylor-Pavkovich E. STRENGTH EXERCISES COMBINED WITH DRY NEEDLING WITH ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IMPROVE PAIN AND FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ROTATOR CUFF TENDINOPATHY: A RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Jun;11(3):409-22. PMID: 27274427; PMCID: PMC4886809.
  • Cotchett MP, Munteanu SE, Landorf KB. Effectiveness of trigger point dry needling for plantar heel pain: a randomized controlled trial. Phys Ther. 2014 Aug;94(8):1083-94. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20130255. Epub 2014 Apr 3. PMID: 24700136.
  • Ong J, Claydon LS. The effect of dry needling for myofascial trigger points in the neck and shoulders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2014;18(3):390-398. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.11.009
  • Salom-Moreno J, Ayuso-Casado B, Tamaral-Costa B, Sánchez-Milá Z, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Alburquerque-Sendín F. Trigger Point Dry Needling and Proprioceptive Exercises for the Management of Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:790209. doi:10.1155/2015/790209