Course Overview


Thoughtfully performed dry needling is one of the best ways in all of medicine to depress sympathetic autonomic nervous system hyperactivity, elevate parasympathetic autonomic activity, and induce autonomic nervous system homeostasis. The key to health. This allows the mind and body to use their awesome, innate healing abilities to maximize healthspan and lifespan. You will learn numerous neurophysiologic mechanisms through which this occurs and you will learn how to maximize ANS homeostasis for yourself and your patients. 


Remember, the overwhelming majority of physical therapy and mental health patients present with chronic sympathetic autonomic hyperactivity. The overwhelming majority of humanity presents with chronic sympathetic hyperactivity, for that matter. This is bad. Chronic sympathetic hyperactivity is detrimental to all aspects of health. Achieving a more homeostatic autonomic nervous system helps improve all aspects of mental and physical health. Most medical impairments result from, and are a cause of, sympathetic autonomic nervous system hyperactivity, including chronic pain, shingles, fibromyalgia, insulin resistance, diabetes, tight muscles, stiff joints, incontinence, pelvic health impairments, anxiety, depression, and much, much more. This class discusses numerous techniques and thought processes that will provide you with the background knowledge and tools to specifically and effectively induce autonomic nervous system homeostasis and improve overall health in any condition.

If you are wondering what dry needling is, how it works, how it could help you, or how to implement it into your current practice model, this class is for you. You do not need to be a medical practitioner to glean useful information from these courses to safely, effectively, and dramatically improve your health. If you already needle and would like to learn more about it, like how to specifically target the autonomic nervous system (ANS), or simply hear a new perspective on treatment strategy, this class is for you too. We would like these courses to serve as an access point into the world of dry needling for medical practitioners, with the goal of improving mental and physical health for the general population. If you are looking to improve your own health, or improve the health of others, you will come away from these courses with useful information to help you achieve your health goals and those of your patients.

We cover much of the latest evidence-informed needling research, both experimental and theoretical, with a focus on autonomic nervous system homeostasis. You will learn our unique needling methodology and how to help any impairment with dry needling. Autonomic nervous system homeostasis and how to achieve it with needling is covered in-depth. The gut-brain axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, key players of the autonomic nervous system, are strongly and positively affected by thoughtful needling. You will learn why. Electrical needling is discussed and you will learn why it increases efficacy, pain relief, and comfort of treatment. 

You will learn the power of dry needling treatment for men’s and women’s pelvic health, including erectile dysfunction, incontinence, pain with sex, postpartum pain, general dysfunction, and more. You will also learn the wide-ranging neurophysiologic benefits of electrical auricular vagus nerve stimulation and how to use it to regulate the mind and body toward homeostasis. Dry needling’s awesome effect on mental health is also discussed. 

Although needling is not allowed in every state, and it varies per profession, it is allowed in most. For practitioners who practice in a state where needling is not allowed, this course remains beneficial as it allows you to become familiar with the technique and provides education concerning various pain pathways, mechanisms of action, other potential ways to reduce pain, regulate the autonomic nervous system, improve outcomes, and more. This includes being knowledgeable about different forms of treatment, which allows for effective interdisciplinary referrals and informed individual choice, to maximize health potential.

Students have permanent access to all class materials and any updates we make in the future. Students also have permanent access to the instructor, Jason, following the course, for any questions.


Course Outline
Day 1: 5 Hours

Part 1 (3 hours) 
Dry Needling & the Autonomic Nervous System 

  • Dry Needling & the ANS (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.
  • The ANS & Mental Health (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.
  • Dry Needling Scar Tissue (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.


Part 2 (2 hours)
Targeting Parasympathetics to Depress Sympathetics & Induce Autonomic Homeostasis 

  • Electrical Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (PowerPoint).
  • Sacral Plexus (S2-S4) & Pelvic Floor Needling (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.
  • Trigeminal Nerve (Otic Ganglion) Stimulation (PowerPoint).
  • C2 Spinous Process & Suboccipital Needling (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.


Day 2: 5 Hours


Part 3 (2 hours)
Sympathetic Chain, Sclerotomal Quantum Entanglement, & Autonomic Homeostasis

  • Sclerotomal Quantum Entanglement & ANS Homeostasis (PowerPoint).
  • Sympathetic Chain, Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System & Autonomic Nervous System Homeostasis. The Key to Health.
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.


Part 4 (2 hours)
Tools to Maximize Dry Needling Treatment Comfort, Efficacy, & Outcomes

  • How to Introduce Needling to Hypersensitive or Hesitant Patients (PowerPoint).
  • 7 Easy Tricks to Maximize the Awesome Autonomic Homeostatic & Neuroplastic Healing Effects of Dry Needling Treatment (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.
  • To Piston or Not to Piston: Should I Utilize the “Pistoning” Technique When Performing Dry Needling? (PowerPoint).
  • Question & Answer, Discussion.


Course Summary, Review, Testing (1 hour)



Target Audience: PT’s, PTA’s, AT’s, OT’s, OTA’s, DC’s, MD’s, PA’s, DO’s, Nurses, anyone who wants to learn about dry needling. You do not need to be a medical professional to glean useful information from these courses to improve your health.

 

Instructor: Jason Schuster, PT, DPT, MTC, IAMTC, IADN Cert. Specialist

Contact Hours / CEU’s: 10 

Price: $495

Prerequisites: None

Course Format: Live-Online

Educational Level: Mastery

Date: TBD



CEU's & State Approvals

Physical Therapists
As of January 1, 2020, the FSBPT (Pro cert.) and the APTA no longer approve CE courses. Currently, states either:

1) Require their own specific approval.

2) (this is most common) They accept courses approved by any other state sub-chapter of the APTA, which all of our courses have.

States Requiring Specific State Certification: LA, MN, NJ, NY, NV, OH, or TX. 

State Approvals: 

New Jersey: 

  • #2309-69: 10 Hours, Academic / Theory.
  • Course Name: Dry Needling 1: Dry Needling & the Autonomic Nervous System.



You may apply this course for CEU’s in any other state. Just send it to your board or state APTA association, depending on your state, for approval.

The CEU's for this course will be accepted for PT's in any other state aside from LA, MN, NY, NV, OH. If you need other certification for this course, please let us know.


Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this new system of course certification. It is the registrants’ responsibility to understand their specific state requirements and to request any specific state certification upon signing up for the course.



Athletic Trainers
BOC Approved Provider # 10256. This course is approved for 10 CEU's.


Disclaimer
These online courses do not teach you how to needle, they teach you how to think about needling to optimize treatment efficacy. Our online courses are not intended to replace in-person dry needling instruction. Each course provides a theoretical discussion with practical application for those who already have needling experience or are looking to gain valuable background knowledge prior to learning, or for those who would simply like to learn about dry needling and its potent regulatory effect on the autonomic nervous system.

These courses may, or may not satisfy state licensure requirements to allow you to practice dry needling. Please refer to your state practice act for rules and regulations associated with obtaining and maintaining a license to practice dry needling in your state, according to your health care license.