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)

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the 3 primary regions of the body to target the PANS and how to connect these areas to maximize ANS homeostasis.
2. Explain what the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) does and how we can manipulate it with needling.
3. Discuss how dysfunction of the enteric nervous system and gut-brain-axis leads to systemic impairments and how we can induce homeostasis of the intestines with needling.
4. Educate patients on both normal and abnormal sarcomere activity, in relation to the ANS, and how needling helps reduce tonicity and improve ANS homeostasis.
5. Describe the reason using low frequency microcurrent is the best for pain relief.
6. Elucidate upon the reason behind connecting spinal levels to their corresponding distal impairments.
7. Extrapolate on the overall sympathetic depressing action needling has on the nervous systems and how to amplify this response.
8. Clarify why needling tendons, ligaments and periosteum of the pelvic floor is essential to achieving ANS homeostasis.
9. Expound upon the reason to place the cathode (positive lead, usually red) over the most hyperactive tissue.
10. Discuss mechanisms by which needling the face induces widespread, systemic vasodilation, lowers blood pressure, and improves immune function.

Testing Note:
Numerous recent, evidence-informed research papers regarding dry needling and the ANS are included in each section of this course. To utilize this course for CEU’s, you must pass the written exam with a minimum score of 80%. All the answers to the test material are contained in the lectures. Although the attached papers are required reading, text questions will be from the lecture portions only.

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: Nov 2-3 & Feb 8-9

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.

State Approvals:

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

New Jersey statute: 45:9-37.34j: Requirements of physical therapist https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/Statutes/physical-therapy-law.pdf

d. “Following successful completion of the dry needling continuing education and competency program, including the practical hands-on instruction required pursuant to paragraph (10) of subsection b. of this section, a physical therapist shall complete 10 of the required minimum credits of continuing education and competency in each biennial license renewal period in board-approved programs in dry needling if the physical therapist chooses to continue to utilize such intervention on patients.”

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.

All purchases are final