Fourteen members of the Health Services Authority (HSA) physiotherapy team completed three dry needling courses to improve their pain management techniques, expand their knowledge and help reduce patients’ recovery time.

Dry needling classes target myofascial pain and muscle dysfunction, providing broad therapeutic applications benefiting people with acute and chronic pain, headache sufferers, athletes, and post-surgical patients.

The courses, Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and American Institute of Functional Integrated Dry Needling (FIDN), were taught by Dr. Mihir Somaiya, a renowned expert in the field and founder and chief instructor of the American Institute of Functional Integrated Dry Needling. . Dr. Somaiya is also the Director and Chief Instructor at MKT Healthcare Innovation USA.

Rockella Smith, HSA Therapy Services Manager, emphasized, “It is crucial that staff stay up to date with the latest evidence-based practices and advances in physiotherapy. Obtaining certifications in instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and dry needling serves this purpose. Dry Needing, in particular, is one of the major emerging treatment modalities and I am pleased that the staff are now able to offer this treatment option.

Patients are already benefiting significantly from the newly acquired skills, as physiotherapists report positive feedback from patients, detailing improvements in mobility and reduction in discomfort over longer periods of time.

Tamesha White, a patient who has suffered from debilitating back pain for years, now feels relief thanks to incorporating the dry needling technique into her therapy treatment.

“I tried different treatments, from physiotherapy to chiropractic sessions, but nothing seemed to help, my pain was incessant. Then I discovered dry needling, and it was a real game changer. After just three sessions, about 85% of my pain was gone. I finally feel like I can move freely again and enjoy life without the constant discomfort. The results have been incredible,” Ms White said.

Course participant and HSA Physiotherapist Shelley Webster said: “I found the dry needling course very interesting and beneficial to my clinical practice. Dry needling was very effective for one of my patients in relieving neck pain and improving range of motion.

“After just one session I was able to significantly reduce the pain my patient felt from 8/10 to 2/10, muscle spasms were reduced and movement improved in all directions,” Ms Webster said. “Patient feedback one week later showed a notable reduction in discomfort during daily activities and greater ease in performing exercises, demonstrating a positive impact of dry needling on their overall quality of life.”

For HSA physiotherapist Rejuan Henry, the new techniques have been invaluable and offer him a way to build trust with patients and facilitate rehabilitation.

“I have seen first-hand how FIDN can truly transform patient outcomes. This drastic change not only brought immediate relief to the patient, but also established a strong foundation of trust between us. With this confidence, the patient felt more confident and motivated, making his rehabilitation process much smoother and more effective. FIDN has been a valuable tool in my practice, helping me provide faster and more reliable results to my patients,” he said.

Physical therapy helps people with prolonged pain, reduced movement, bone, joint and tissue weakness, sports injuries and other debilitating conditions.

Training participants are Camille Marshall-Morris, Kareen Hadome, Georgia Kirby, Stephanie Ming-Yorke, Taylor Reid, Virginia Barnes, Chelsea Tennant, Kristina Bramwell, Rockella Smith., Chickandarvin Chellaswamy Santha, Christy Mariya Thressa, Daniella Gourzong, Rejuan Henry and Shelley Webster.

HSA Therapy Services is the 2024 Cayman Islands Gold Top Winner for Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Located at Bay Town House, 36 West Bay Road.

To make an appointment, call 244-2593 or 244-2594, or email (email protected).