By Morgan Clark - Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, at Empower Your Pelvis, in Kansas City, Missouri (Lee Summit, MO and Overland Park, KS)

We’re excited to announce a new service now available at Empower Your Pelvis—Functional Dry Needling! A few weekends ago, Amanda Fisher, PT, DPT, and I (Morgan Clark, PT, DPT) traveled to Columbia, Missouri, to complete our certification in this highly effective technique. We’ve heard so many success stories from other healthcare professionals and were eager to bring this treatment to our patients. During the course, we not only practiced dry needling on each other but also got the chance to explore some of our old favorite spots from our Mizzou days! We returned to the clinic with new knowledge and a lot of excitement to start incorporating dry needling into our treatments. So far, the results have been fantastic!

What is Dry Needling, and How Does It Work?

If you're wondering, “What exactly is dry needling? Is it the same as acupuncture?”—great question! While dry needling and acupuncture both use thin, acupuncture like needles, their purposes and techniques differ.

Acupuncture follows the body's energy meridians, using needles to stimulate points based on an ancient energy map. Dry needling, on the other hand, focuses on musculoskeletal tissue. Our goal is to target specific muscle trigger points—those tight, painful areas that may be causing discomfort or dysfunction. By inserting a needle into the tissue, we aim to “reset” the muscle, encouraging it to relax and function more effectively.

Think of it this way: when a muscle is tight or in pain, your brain sends signals to that area to let the body know there's an issue (picture little “pain messengers”). The goal of dry needling is to disrupt those signals, helping the muscle reset and potentially improving stability, flexibility, and reducing pain.

Why Are We So Excited About Dry Needling?

One of the most exciting things about dry needling is how quickly we can see changes in muscle tissue. As physical therapists, we typically educate our patients that it can take 8–10 weeks to create lasting change in muscle function. But with dry needling, we’ve already seen faster improvements, especially when combined with our core and hip-strengthening programs.

Where Do We Use Dry Needling?

A question we’ve received a lot since adding this service is whether we’re dry needling the pelvic floor muscles. While that’s not part of our current practice, we do treat areas such as the neck, shoulders, arms, lower back, glutes, and legs. These regions are often linked to pelvic floor dysfunction, so addressing tension and pain in these muscles can still benefit our patients experiencing pelvic floor issues.

Is Dry Needling Right for You?

Before starting any treatment, we ensure each patient is thoroughly assessed for contraindications or precautions, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of dry needling. If you’re curious about whether this service could benefit you, we’d love to chat! Give us a call or schedule an appointment, and we’ll go over everything in detail.

We’re thrilled to offer Functional Dry Needling as part of our services at Empower Your Pelvis and can’t wait to see how it helps our amazing patients!

Get Professional Help

If you're looking for “pelvic floor therapy near me”, consider scheduling a consultation at one of our locations in Kansas City-Overland Park, Kansas, or Lees Summit, Missouri. Click here to book your appointment.

Join the Core Restore Program

Ready to take charge of your wellness and overcome the challenges of core, hip, and pelvic floor weakness? Our Core Restore Program provides you with the comprehensive guidance you need to build strength, enhance stability, and feel your absolute best. Enroll today and take the first step towards feeling empowered, strong, and revitalized—mind, body, and spirit!

With wellness in your pelvis-

Amanda Fisher, PT, DPT
Owner, Empower Your Pelvis, a pelvic floor physical therapy clinic in Kansas City (Lee’s Summit, MO and Overland Park, KS)