| August 17, 2026 |
NatNews |
ISSUE 231 |
DRY NEEDLING TO REDUCE PAIN + IMPROVE RANGE OF MOTION
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It might be time to get some needles stuck into your skin. Hardcore athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and weekend warriors alike often need to take certain measures to ensure proper recovery and injury treatment and prevention. One such method is dry needling, which can seem odd at first but might not be as uncomfortable as some people might think. Dry needling is a technique during which a provider inserts thin, sharp needles through an individual’s skin to treat underlying myofascial trigger points (knotted tender areas that develop in a person’s muscles). The needles stimulate the muscles and help relieve pain and improve one’s range of motion. There is no medication in the needles, which is why it is referred to as a “dry” treatment. Katie Overton, Dallas-based doctor of physical therapy, noted that the benefits of dry needling include reducing painful trigger points that limit the body’s ability to move as effectively as it should. “The needle helps reduce the resting tone and tension held within the muscles, which improves range of motion in the body,” she said. “It can also be used to activate muscles that are otherwise a bit dormant due to surgeries or injuries. Beyond that, dry needling can also help alleviate pain by calming the nervous system.” Overton added that dry needling can be used for injuries, prevention of injuries, and routine maintenance. In her office, she uses it for patients during their “check-up” visits to maintain the progress they have made during their more intense physical therapy sessions. “I have several patients who work very long days at their desks, and despite their postures being really good, they continue to have tension across their necks and shoulders due to the prolonged desk work (which can’t change unless they don’t want to have a job anymore—yikes),” she said. “The dry needling helps improve their pain between sessions to allow them to work the long hours without feeling the intense pain.” Overton said the frequency at which a person should receive dry needling treatments is contingent upon the individual and should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. “Research has changed over the years and is showing benefits for certain patients to use dry needling a few times a week, whereas years ago, the researchers were advising one time a week or every other week,” she said. “I tend to use it a bit more initially with patients, then as we get the muscles to respond better to movement, we’re able to decrease how frequently we’re using the dry needles.” |
And some individuals prefer to keep dry needling as part of their standard routine maintenance methods. “I have a bunch of patients who love doing ‘tune-up’ appointments once a month in which we do a full-body dry needling session to reduce tension all over the body so that they can continue being active,” Overton said. As with most forms of treatment, it’s important to be aware of potential side effects. Overton said an individual’s muscles may sometimes feel tender and fatigued after dry needling treatments, especially if electrical stimulation is used to facilitate a muscular contraction. “Sometimes people have a feeling of lethargy after treatment, depending on how intense the muscle release was,” she said. “I refer to this as the ‘dry needling hangover’ and advise my patients to use a hydration supplement and possibly an Epsom salt soak to help reduce that side effect.” Overton added that there is also a chance of bruising, depending on the techniques used and the location of the treatment. While there are additional potential ensuing impacts that may occur, Overton acknowledged how essential it is to make sure that the professional performing the dry needling has the necessary experience in doing so. “The scariest side effect is a pneumothorax, which is a collapsed lung from the needle getting too close to the lungs and accidentally puncturing one,” she said. “This is not life-threatening, but the tight-chest feeling that occurs from it is scary. This is why it’s important to see a provider who is trained in dry needling, as not every provider has taken the appropriate courses to be trained properly.” Though serious side effects are rare, those with questions and concerns as to whether or not dry needling is a suitable option for them should discuss the treatment with their providers prior to receiving it. As an additional benefit, Overton said one treatment not all people know about or associate with dry needling is that it can help with scarring. “I’ve treated several C-section scars, postoperative scars, and tummy tuck scars,” she said. “It’s amazing how much it helps to improve the stickiness of the scars, which improves mobility around the scar and decreases the pain associated with it. It’s a really cool treatment.” |
DID YOU KNOW?
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Like most mammals, bats have belly buttons. |
IS IT TIME TO MAKE MORE SPACE FOR MYSPACE?
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Movies and fashion aren’t the only ones trying to have revivals—the once popular MySpace is also seeking a comeback. Launched in August 2003 by co-founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, MySpace became a pioneer of social networking, allowing users to create personalized profile pages, upload photos and videos, and connect with friends. The innovative and unique components gained rapid appeal, as MySpace reached more than 22 million members by 2005. It began declining in 2008 and was acquired by brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook in 2011. Dallas-area resident Jill Wolf said one aspect of MySpace she enjoyed most was that it was completely customizable. “From the banners to the music, it taught teenagers how to code,” she said. “Outside of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), it was the first form of social media that teenagers could use. When Facebook started popping up, you had to have a college email to join. This bridged that gap for the high schoolers.” Dallas resident Drew Johnson said his favorite feature of MySpace was the ability to have a song attached to his profile. Despite his affinity for the site at the time, Johnson said it would not be a platform he would add to his current online activity if it does indeed make a return. “The world needs a lot of things right now, and another social media site is certainly not one of them,” he said. “I have zero interest in using MySpace again. Some things are best left for the rose-colored lens of nostalgia.” While Wolf wouldn’t rule out logging in again, MySpace likely wouldn’t hold the same significance it once did when there weren’t so many social networking options available. “I would probably use it again to get a little nostalgia, but growing up in the social media age, I probably wouldn’t use it the way the younger generation would,” she said. “Between all of Meta, Strava, LinkedIn, etc., I’m tapped out online.” One of the most well-known features of MySpace was its Top 8, which allowed users to rank eight of their closest friends—a form of social hierarchy visible on their front pages and often responsible for creating drama and hurt feelings. “Looking back and reminiscing about MySpace, it might be the worst one,” Johnson said regarding MySpace as compared to other forms of social media. “Ranking your top friends? What a horrible thing to do.” Wolf noted that she believes that while there would be potential benefits of MySpace, the feature of ranking one’s top friends could create extra tension that might not have been as prevalent years ago as it would in today’s online circles.
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“While it was fun and unique at the time, how that will sit with the younger more social-media-heavy generation might not be great,” she said. “It would be a great way for kids to learn how to code, though, so that’s at least one positive.” A return to life might not be the easiest feat for MySpace, as it will be up against outlets like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and many others. Wolf noted that because it was at the forefront of social media, MySpace in its original form certainly had restrictions. “I think it would be at the bottom of the list compared to the current platforms,” she said. “But if you look at Facebook back at its initial stage, it’s progressed majorly over the years. I’d be really intrigued to see how MySpace would come back to be able to compete.” Another challenge MySpace could face in its attempt at a resurgence is that of digital fatigue, as more individuals are choosing to withdraw from active engagement on social media. “The very first generation of social media was a lot of fun—simply sharing life updates and grainy early digital pictures with friends before the business and corporations turned it into an advertising and marketing hell hole tracking every mouse click,” Johnson said. “Now it’s a cesspool of targeted ads and manipulated non-chronological slop. Maybe Tom had the right idea—build a business, make some money, shut it down, and then disappear. Take note, Zuckerberg.” While online outlets allow people to connect with one another, they can also result in undesirable impacts, including anxiety, low self-esteem, poor sleep, decreased social skills, etc. Wolf said she thinks that the evolution of social media has been overall more negative than positive for the individuals who use the various platforms available. “While I’ve enjoyed it as a way to keep connected with college friends, and I’ll be the first one to doom scroll and go down the funny dog videos rabbit hole, I think it creates a level of dependability,” she said. “My weekly viewing hours are way too high.” Wolf added that social media creates unrealistic expectations for kids, causing many to desire to grow up to be “influencers” or take actions that they think are humorous or bad simply to get more clicks. She also acknowledged the level of anonymity some individuals can have when online. “It is a way for people to say very dark and cruel things behind burner accounts and take no accountability,” she said. “There definitely are more negatives, but those are the big ones. The number of followers you have is not an indication of your level of worth.” WEEKLY PHOTO OP     .jpg)  August is a time to celebrate our favorite (somewhat) official PR guy |
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