Professionals need to continually upgrade and update their skills, and not remain complacent with the knowledge they are already equipped with, especially given the rapidly advancing technology in the field of health sciences. CPD opens up the minds of professionals to newer concepts, allows the practitioner to learn and discover viable ways to improve on patient care, stimulates innovation and helps serve the community with new trends and techniques, besides facilitating career progress.
The Neuroaid and Research Foundation (NRF) conducted its First CPD on Dry Needling at Neuroaid-Shakti, Nangal Dewat, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on March 15th & 16th 2023. NRF was fortunate to have Dr Mayank Pushkar as mentor.
About the Mentor
Dr Mayank Pushkar holds a Masters in Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedics Physiotherapy from the United Kingdom. He is Director, Eploris Healthcare & Pushkar’s Sports Physio Hub. He has over 10 years of clinical experience. He uses this technique every day in his private practice. Dr Mayank has a wealth of knowledge regarding different techniques, approaches, muscle types and pattern of therapy. He was very energetic during the two day workshop and always willing to share his knowledge.
Introduction
Trigger-point dry needling is an invasive procedure, where a fine needle is inserted into the skin and muscle. It is aimed at myofascial trigger points which are hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscles associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band.
Benefits of Dry Needling
- Relaxes the muscles
- Boosts blood flow
- Diminishes inflammation and triggers the healing response
- Accelerates recovery
Absolute/Relative Contra-indications
- Patient with needle phobia
- Unable to give consent
- Medical emergency
- Limb with lymphedema
- Abnormal bleeding tendency
- Vascular disease
- Diabetes
- Pregnancy
- Children
- Patients with allergies and infection at site
- Patients with epilepsy
Types: Superficial dry needling
Deep dry needling
The Workshop
14 professional therapists attended the workshop with much enthusiasm and zeal.
The Workshop commenced with introductions followed by an in-depth theory class on dry needling, covering indications, contraindications and ethics in the practice of this technique.
Practical demonstrations were the highlights of the workshop. It was very interactive as participants had several questions, considering their first-time exposure to this technique. They discussed details of specific conditions where Dry Needling would be of benefit, size of needles to be used for different muscles, positioning of patient and therapist; etc.
Practical demonstration of the upper and lower limbs, with each part of the muscle having been covered in much detail.
Participants inserted close to 10 pairs of needles into each other over the two-day period, which was enough time and opportunity to make sure that they were comfortable and confident enough to practice this technique in future.
The practical hands-on sessions were extremely beneficial; real time treatment will help therapists gain more confidence and learn precision of treatment. During the practice sessions, many participants were reluctuant to use the needle and were apprehensive, but Dr Pushkar made sure that each participant demonstrated the technique in front of him which made the workshop 100% effective and productive.
Dr Mayank put it very nicely as how dry needling fits into an overall treatment plan with other modalities, such as exercise and taping techniques. Using this technique, therapists all over the world are doing wonders in relieving pain and spasm, specially in Sports be it National or International.
After the workshop concluded, the team got an opportunity to be photographed with Dr Mayank Pushkar. He was happy to see the enthusiasm and energy of the NRF team and wished us in our future endeavours. Certificates of successful completion on Clinical Sports Dry Needling (Basic) were handed over to all participants.
A token of our appreciation was presented to Dr Pushkar for the two-day hands-on workshop that involved much learning. NRF wishes Dr Mayank Pushkar much success in the years ahead. NRF will continue to have such Workshops on emeging techniques for its professionals and expand participation to external candidates as well in future.
