Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › General › Dry Needling = Lacrosse Ball on Steroids = Knee Pain Resolution

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    • 03/14/2014 at 2:11 pm #70844
      AvatarBailey Martinez
      Member

      After 2 years of bi-lateral patella knee pain (jumper’s knee) I’ve experienced the single-most impacting treatment – Dry Needling.

      While this might not work for everyone to the same magnitude that it did for myself, I believe that it has tremendous value. Gray Cook not only practices dry needling, but he also considers it to be one of the most powerful tools he utilizes in his practice.

      I received the treatment to my rectus femoris and my vastus lateralis which had some pretty substantial trigger points (the day after receiving a trigger point massage to my legs!)  – and now I’m able to exert external rotation to my femur and am experiencing zero knee pain now that my patella is able to track properly.

      This may not be the only thing I need to treat. G.Cook highlights in his video that other muscles such as the glutes could have impacted the quads, which caused the trigger points, which caused the knee pain. If this is true, the quad trigger points will resurface unless the glute issue is addressed.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HGOtLp-g9g

      If you have some trigger points that you’re able to get TEMPORARY relief from when you hit them with a lacrosse ball, but they seem to keep coming back, I would suggest you inquire about dry needling.

    • 03/14/2014 at 3:45 pm #74308
      AvatarRyan Cloutier
      Member
      Electrically stimulated trigger point dry needling = dry needling on steroids 
      Electrically stimulated trigger point is a lot more effective than just dry needling. It has been the best thing in terms of muscle tension relief I have tried and I have tried a lot of things including: acupuncture, suction cupping, foam rolling, PVC pipe, Rumble roller, lacrosse ball, barbell, Voodoo band squats, stretching, ART, massage therapy, MET (muscle energy technique). However its only provided me temporary relief just like everything else. I am sure it might be more permanently effective on other people with more simpler cases then mine. 
      But since it was so effective at giving me temporary relief I bought myself my own electroaccupuncture machine and needles and have been treating myself.
    • 03/14/2014 at 4:06 pm #74309
      AvatarRyan Cloutier
      Member

      One important point in that video is:

      1) Dry needling is very effective at resetting muscle tone but not at resetting movement.
      Then one would need to create a situation which reinforces what is gained, and then later on one would want to reload a better pattern.
      Reset, Reinforce, Reload

      If one doesnt have the capacity to reset the tissue than must likely the corrective exercises wont work well.  This is because one would do much more dysfunctional movements in a day compared to their corrective exercises (i.e., 3 sets of 10)
    • 03/14/2014 at 4:20 pm #74310
      AvatarBailey Martinez
      Member

      Good point! I did get the added electro-stimuli during my treatment.

      That’s one thing my PT didn’t do – reinforce proper movement after the treatment.

      He ended up having my do clamshells, lateral leg raises, and hip hikes. 🙁

    • 03/14/2014 at 7:27 pm #74311
      Avatar[email protected]
      Participant
      Are you talking about keeping your feet straight with arches, butt turned on, stomach on, and shoulders non slouched? 

      The only thing that seems to reinforce what is gained is by constantly moving around in positions you want to obtain.  

      I work at an I.T. job, but I am rarely sitting and always focusing on my mechanics yet still not able to reinforce what I gained.

      I’d like to do a 10 minute squat at work, or a pigeon pose or obtain a band and do some smashing, but it simply is impossible.  I mean for one, I’d shred my pants if I squatted in them.  
    • 03/14/2014 at 9:42 pm #74312
      AvatarBailey Martinez
      Member

      Yup, exactly. I could before, but it would be very difficult to maintain a good position for my patella to track in. I could really only do it when performing controlled exercises. Once I play sports or start introducing dynamic movements, I I wouldn’t be able to use proper bio mechanics.

      Now it’s pretty easy for me to get into a great position where my patella tracks with ZERO pain. The right knee feels a little unstable, so I’m not jumping into any crazy yet. For now I’ll focus on gaining that stability back and hopefully will be on a great track from here on out.

      My next battle will be with my thoracic and shoulder areas. 🙂

    • 03/15/2014 at 9:03 am #74315
      AvatarAndrew Woodruff
      Participant

      Dry needling, is this acupuncture?

    • 03/15/2014 at 5:21 pm #74316
      AvatarBailey Martinez
      Member

      Dry needling is one of many techniques used in acupuncture – at least this was the impression I got from Cook’s video.

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