Coach Amy is Now Certified in Advanced Neurological Dry Needling
Coach Amy applies electrical stimulation with advanced dry needling techniques to decrease inflammation in the knee joint without the use of medication or steroids.
Patient function is Coach Amy’s ultimate goal. To further her ability to help her patients, Coach Amy earned her certification in Advanced Neurological Dry Needling (ANDN) from the Integrative Dry Needling Institute this spring. With these advanced techniques, she can more effectively reduce inflammation. When inflammation is reduced and the nerves are no longer irritated, muscle guarding decreases, and biomechanics are restored.
ANDN is effective in the treatment of many ailments including:
Headaches and migraines
Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMJD)
Shoulder, neck, back, hip, knee, ankle, and foot pain
Chronic pain
Acute and overuse sports injuries
Sports performance enhancement
“Regardless of the cause of injury, the source of pain is irritated nerves. The best way to calm irritated nerves is by restoring their normal chemistry. In all my years of practice, I’ve found that neurological dry needling is the most effective way to restore normal chemistry.”
Treatment typically takes 1 to 6 visits. Several factors impact the number of visits needed:
Chronicity of the problem
Age and overall health of the patient
Complexity of the injury
Usually, ANDN does not completely correct the problem. Coach Amy uses other treatment methods in combination with dry needling to address the root cause of an injury, including addressing gait mechanics, proprioceptive deficits, posture, training errors, and limitations in stability and mobility.
To start reducing pain and inflammation with ANDN, schedule an appointment with Coach Amy PT today.
Cupping comes to CoachAmyPT
Exciting news! CoachAmyPT added cupping to our services menu!
Cupping is trending now, but its ancient origins date back to 1550 BC with the ancient Egyptians. It became widely known in modern times when Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps sported cupping’s telltale “purple dots” after receiving cupping treatment to assist his recovery and to treat muscle soreness and pain during the 2016 Olympics.
Cupping is a manual therapy technique that uses suction to elongate connective tissue such as skin, fascia, and superficial muscle layers. This process increases fluid flow within the tissues to help eliminate inflammation and pain.
Coach Amy places the acrylic cups in areas of restrictions within muscles and fascia and along seams between muscles that are not moving past each other correctly. Cupping helps treat many conditions, including tendonitis, bursitis, tension headaches, and fascial syndromes.
Depending upon the problem, cups may remain in place for 1 to 15 minutes. Amy then manipulates the cup along restricted areas to break up adhesions and release the tissues from all directions. She combines active and passive patient movement while the cups are in place to restore proper biomechanics and function.
“Typically, it isn’t enough to place the cups or to manipulate them. The primary benefit of this treatment is gained when functional movement is incorporated with the cupping.”
Cupping is another tool in Coach Amy’s toolbox, along with dry needling, active release technique, and applied functional science. Amy finds that using cupping in conjunction with other treatment methods is helpful and uses it especially when dry needling and ART are contraindicated. Manual therapy techniques like cupping work best when incorporated into a full rehabilitation program. This includes a home exercise program to train the tissues to move correctly again so they no longer cause pain or dysfunction.
As with all physical therapy treatments, the number of treatments needed depends on a number of factors. Typically cupping is done one to three times. Tune-ups every one to six months may be needed when patients continue to perform activities that build up trauma to the tissue, such as repetitive activity for work, hobby, or sport.
Cupping is included with your physical therapy treatment at no extra charge for both self-pay and insurance-covered patients.
Interested in adding cupping to your treatment protocol? Ask Coach Amy if this is an effective treatment for your problem at your next appointment. Not yet a patient? Our schedule is frequently full with a waitlist. If you cannot find an open appointment, please check back soon.
Should I Get a Cortisone Injection? Dry Needling vs. Cortisone.
Many patients in chronic pain ask me whether they should get a cortisone injection. In some cases a cortisone injection can be helpful to break a vicious pain cycle. I recommend it as a last resort, as long as it is followed up with a thorough evaluation and treatment of the causes of the pain and dysfunction. Simply decreasing inflammation isn’t going to solve a problem long term.
I caution against multiple cortisone injections as it can break down connective tissues (muscle, tendon, ligament and nerve). As you can imagine, this can lead to worse problems down the road. Before a cortisone injection is entertained, I recommend dry needling. With dry needling there are biochemical changes that occur resulting in an increase of blood flow to the treated area, including white blood cells which is our bodies’ natural healing agent. Dry needling acts as a non-pharmacological anti-inflammatory.
In a study released in 2017 in the Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physical Therapy*, researchers treated 50 painful hips. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a cortisone injection or dry needling. During the 6-week study no other forms of treatment were provided. At the end of the study, patients in both groups had the same results for pain relief, ability to move and perform daily activities, and medication use. Patients who went to physical therapy for dry needling had the same outcomes as those who received a cortisone injection.
The results of this study show that patients can get similar results from dry needling as from a corticosteroid injection. Both groups experienced a decrease in pain and an improved ability to move and complete daily activities. Because the outcomes were similar, dry needling may be a good option for those worried about the potential side effects and risks of a steroid injection, or who want to try a lower-risk treatment.
*J Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 2017;47(4):240. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.0504
Coach Amy is Keeping KC Moving - Running, Working, Living
Coach Amy PT’s Mission is to Keeping KC Moving whether it’s running, biking, swimming, lifting grandchildren, fighting fires or working with animals like patient, Rachel who is a physical therapy assistant for canines!
Rachel had such intense elbow pain that she couldn’t perform at work before coming to CoachAmyPT for treatment, “I am so thankful for Amy! Before I was treated by Coach Amy, my pain was so bad that I couldn’t even squeeze a bottle of ultrasound gel at work. I had dealt with the pain for about 6 months prior to coming to her. I endured the pain and issue for so long, that I wasn’t sure if PT would even help.
Amy’s capabilities with Dry Needling combined with Active Release Therapy (ART), manual therapy, and “at home” exercises relieved my epicondylitis. This combination of treatments really got to the root of my elbow and nerve pain. Within 6 visits my pain was almost gone, and the range of motion in my elbow and shoulder was restored! Amy is so caring, she really paid attention to what I had to say, and she’s always upbeat! She is phenomenal! Thank you for getting me back to where I am today, and back to my job!”
Can Physical Therapy Get Rid of My Headache?
Yes, physical therapy can help! Headaches caused by restrictions in the muscles, nerves and fascia can respond well to physical therapy. When muscles of the jaw, neck and upper back are tight or weak, they can compromise nerves and blood vessels resulting in regular headaches that are exhausting and in severe cases, debilitating.
Coach Amy uses a combination of Dry Needling (IDN), Active Release Technique (ART), and functional exercise. IDN and ART can improve blood flow and free the nerves and blood vessels from restriction. For successful long term relief and prevention, therapy includes treatment of muscle imbalances with functional exercise and posture training.
Even with the best treatment, stress and overuse in sustained postures with certain jobs, hobbies and sports can lead to “pop up” headaches; monthly physical therapy “tune-ups” with IDN and ART can keep them at bay.
Not all headaches are the result of muscle imbalances; other factors can contribute. A thorough physical therapy evaluation can identify if there are muscle imbalances contributing to headaches, and determine the effectiveness of physical therapy for treatment.
Active Release Technique (ART) and Dry Needling Can Boost Recovery
Nothing is more frustrating than becoming injured during training. Even with a sound training plan, injury can occur and completely derail race plans and goals. Physical therapy early in the injury process with a practitioner that specializes in endurance sports, can keep athletes training and racing with minimal to no disruption in training.
Lauren, a CoachAmyPT patient, shares this story: “I had a glute/hip flexor issue after running the Dopey Challenge. Between dry needling and physical therapy, Coach Amy put me back together...better than ever. Recently, I twisted my ankle on some ice and snow, and I had a race that weekend I didn’t want to miss. Again, dry needling, ART and physical therapy had me running the 10k two days later without any discomfort. I set a PR for that course!
Because Amy is such a talented athlete herself, she understands other athletes. She is part of my “A Team” of practitioners that keep me running at my best, and feeling my best.”
Physical therapy combined with ART and/or Neurological Dry Needling can significantly speed up healing time and reduce the effects of injury. ART is a patented soft tissue technique targeting the interface between structures, allowing them to move independently thus alleviating discomfort. Neurological Dry Needling is a non-pharmacological method of improving blood flow to boost healing. Combined, these treatments produce powerful results.
ART is covered under insurance, and dry needling is a cost effective “add on” treatment. Both treatments can be incorporated into a regular PT appointment. Coach Amy is proud to offer these state of the art treatments, and like Lauren, get all endurance athletes back to sport ASAP.
Red's Door County Special: Pre-performance A.R.T. with Coach Amy
We are so excited for all the Red's participating in the Door County Triathlon!
Coach Amy is certified in full body and long tract nerve A.R.T.
Tuesday, July 11th CoachAmyPT is offering extended hours 6:00-8:30 PM for the Red's Tri Team. Pre-performance session includes a 30 minute race ready A.R.T. to focus on tight tissues, areas with hx of injury and worrisome spots. This is NOT a PT evaluation. If you need that, please schedule a PT Evaluation and Treatment at coachamypt.com > appointments.
$60/session
Steps to secure your spot:
email amy@coachamypt.com with name, date of birth, address and phone number to schedule. First come first serve. 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, and 8:00 PM.
go to coachamypt.com > appointments and scroll down to required forms. Print, fill out and email or bring along to appointment. You do NOT need to fill out paperwork if you are past or present CoachAmyPT patient.
Arrive 5 min early, dressed in clothing you can move in!
Current injured Reds patients of CoachAmyPT are encouraged to keep their regularly scheduled 40 min. appointment that week if possible.
What is Active Release Technique (ART) and how can it help you?
Amy Parkerson-Mitchell, MSPT is full body certified in ART and recently completed advanced ART training for long tract nerves. In her 20+ years of experience treating endurance athletes and non-athletes she finds that treatment and prevention of injury is most successful with a thorough physical therapy evaluation of biomechanics to determine the cause of the problem and a combination of ART* with functional exercises to treat it.
Most of us are familiar with physical therapy and functional exercise, but what is ART? ART stands for Active Release Techniques. It is a highly effective and sought after treatment for muscles, fascia, nerves, ligaments and tendons especially in overuse syndromes with a success rate of up to 90%. It is a preferred treatment by Ironman athletes, many professional sports teams (basketball, hockey, and football) including our beloved KC Chiefs. MMA fighters, numerous olympic medalists, and the dancers in Dancing with the Stars all receive relief from ART treatment.
ART isn't just for professional athletes and dancers. It benefits anyone who participates in repetitive activity including recreational athletes, weekend warriors and non-athletes. Repetitive activity resulting from work, hobby or sport leads to micro-tearing of muscles. The body responds to these tears by laying down scar tissue which is not as good as the original. It is not as supple or strong. It lays down every which a way often times snarling up with other structures such as nerves, fascia and other muscles. This can lead to pain and dysfunction. Full body certified ART providers use over 300 different protocols to free the tissues from one another and improve the integrity of the tissues.
Follow up that newly freed tissue with progressive, functionally specific exercises that Amy determines best addresses your biomechanical restrictions for maximum success in performance and wellness.
*Amy incorporates joint mobilization with ART if needed.