Relief that helps you get back to your day
When a painful knot keeps coming back, sleep, work and exercise can start to revolve around it. We use dry needling when it can help ease muscle-related symptoms, then build on that relief with movement, education and strength for the life you want back.
Your first visit: 60 minutes, one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT, our McKenzie-certified physical therapist. We assess what is limiting you, choose treatment together and practice a home plan you can use between visits.
In person at 4890 Highland Dr in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City. No referral needed.
Tell us what you have tried and what you want back. Your Free Case Review is a chance to ask questions about care and choose a starting point. We follow up by phone or text to arrange the conversation.
DPT, Cert. MDT
Your story comes first with Dr. Emily
Emily’s early work in neurological rehabilitation shaped her interest in movement, pain and what people want to get back to.
Emily discusses what you want dry needling to help you do and checks whether it fits the examination. If used, it supports a movement and exercise plan; the useful question is whether any relief carries into a task you care about, not simply how the muscles feel afterward.
Meet Emily and explore her approach · Request a Free Case Review to discuss how to connect pain relief with useful movement.
See dry needling in practice
Watch Dr. Emily’s dry needling demonstration on the upper back and shoulder. The wires you see are electrical leads: they carry small electrical pulses through selected needles. Depending on the settings, you may feel rhythmic pulsing or a muscle twitch.
We talk through the proposed approach and your preferences before treatment, and you can ask us to adjust or stop. Your assessment guides whether needling with electrical stimulation, needling without it or another approach fits. Read more about the electrical leads and what to expect.
We choose an everyday task to compare before and after treatment, then check how the change carries into the rest of your week. Easier turning, reaching or walking gives us something useful to build on.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling uses a thin, solid needle in muscle tissue to address pain and movement limitations. There is no medication in the needle and nothing is injected. It may help ease a sensitive, tight area so that turning your head, reaching or moving through an exercise feels easier. We discuss how it would support the movement and activity you are working on.
When might it be helpful?
We consider dry needling when muscle pain or sensitivity is contributing to the problem. Your symptoms and examination matter more than a diagnosis label alone.
- Neck pain with painful muscle tension or difficulty turning your head.
- Back pain with muscle guarding that makes daily movement uncomfortable.
- Shoulder pain that limits reaching, lifting or exercise.
- Some neck-related headaches, when the examination points to a treatable movement or muscle component.
- Hip or other muscle-related pain that is getting in the way of walking, training or returning to activity.
With sciatica or a herniated disc, we also assess the spine and nerve-related symptoms. Dry needling may address associated muscle discomfort; it does not put a disc back in place or replace that assessment.
Find answers for the activity pain is interrupting
- A neck knot or upper-trap pain that keeps returning: assessment, relief and a practical home plan.
- Back muscle spasms or guarding: how we connect symptom relief with easier everyday movement.
- Shoulder pain with reaching, lifting or sleep: how needling fits alongside shoulder rehabilitation.
- Jaw pain, clenching or chewing discomfort and headaches with neck discomfort: help choosing the appropriate care.
- Hip and glute pain, including outside-hip pain when lying on your side.
- Tennis-elbow pain with gripping or first-step heel pain: symptom relief connected with progressive loading.
- How long relief lasts and preparation and aftercare.
Connect relief with something you want to do
Understand your movement response
If muscle tightness keeps returning, we also examine how your back or neck responds to movement. Dr. Emily uses McKenzie Method assessment to check selected movements and their effect on symptoms and a meaningful task. That helps us choose exercises to practice with you and build on between visits.
Make pain less confusing
Bring the questions behind your pain: a worry about making things worse, a scan finding or the next flare-up. We want to understand how symptoms behave and what they have changed in your life. We explain what the examination suggests and practice an approachable next step together, so you can understand your choices and feel more able to use the plan.
Build capacity for what you love
If turning your head is easier after needling, we can use that opportunity to practice comfortable movement and work toward the strength or endurance you need for driving and your workday. Then we look beyond the treatment table: was that task still easier later, and are you doing more between visits? Your response helps us decide whether needling is earning its place in the plan or whether something needs to change.
What your first appointment looks like
- Talk through your goals. Bring your symptom history and what you have already tried. Your initial evaluation is scheduled for 60 minutes.
- Assess before choosing treatment. We examine the relevant movements and discuss whether dry needling, exercise, manual therapy or another approach is the best starting point.
- Make the decision together. If needling is appropriate, we explain the procedure, expected sensations, risks and alternatives. You can ask questions, decline or stop at any time.
- Leave with a next step. We review your response and agree on a practical home plan and follow-up. Needling is never a requirement for working with us.
Use our back-pain evaluation preparation guide to organize your goals and questions.
Relief, with someone who takes time to understand you
“She helped me get quick relief with dry needling, but what really stood out was how thorough she was…”
Read Amanda’s full Google review
We want you to leave knowing what we found, why we chose your treatment and what to practice next. Your own response helps us shape the plan as we go.
What should I look for when choosing dry needling near me?
Ask who will perform the treatment, how they decide whether it fits your symptoms, what you may feel afterward and how any relief connects with movement or activity. You should be able to discuss alternatives and choose care without needling.
Dry needling at MMPT is an in-person treatment at our Holladay clinic, serving Greater Salt Lake City. The clinician assessment guides whether it belongs in your plan. Request a Free Case Review to discuss your concerns before choosing treatment.
Common questions about dry needling
Does dry needling hurt, and can I choose care without it?
You may feel a brief prick, a muscle twitch or an ache; the experience varies by area and person. We explain the approach and relevant risks before you decide, and you can ask us to pause or stop. Dry needling is optional. If needles worry you or you prefer another approach, tell us. We can discuss exercise, movement education, manual therapy or other suitable parts of your plan based on the assessment.
What should I expect afterward, and can I exercise?
We help you choose activity based on the treated area and your response. Temporary soreness or a small bruise can occur, and a demanding workout may need adjusting. A brief reduction in pain is not a reason to suddenly do much more. Our dry-needling FAQ explains aftercare in more detail. Before treatment, tell us about medications, bleeding concerns, pregnancy, recent surgery or other health changes. Rare serious complications are possible; we explain relevant risks before you consent and what response should prompt medical attention.
How many sessions will I need, and what if relief does not last?
The number and spacing depend on your response and goals. Tell us what felt easier, how long the change lasted and what happened when you returned to your usual activity. A brief improvement can be useful, but repeating the same treatment is not automatically the next step. We may need to adjust the movement plan, build strength or reassess what is contributing to the symptoms. We decide about further needling from your response and goals. If it is not helping you make useful progress, we change course.
What does the research say?
A 2023 systematic review of chronic neck pain research found support for short- and medium-term improvements in pain and function with dry needling. We use that evidence as a reason to consider the tool for suitable muscle symptoms, then ask what the change lets you do. Easier turning, a more comfortable workday or being ready to practice your exercises is more useful than simply feeling looser on the treatment table.
Is it the same as acupuncture?
Both can involve thin needles, but the assessment frameworks and treatment approaches differ. We use dry needling within physical therapy to address identified pain and movement problems. Read more about dry needling and acupuncture.
Can I start with a virtual appointment?
Dry needling requires an in-person visit. If travel is difficult, virtual coaching can offer movement education and help with wellness goals. Ask us which appointment fits; clinical virtual PT has separate suitability and eligibility requirements.