Needling Techniques in Physiotherapy - A Science Based Review

Overview

The use of needling techniques (using fine solid needles) in physiotherapy continues to grow, under a variety of names such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, dry needling, functional needling, neurofunctional acupuncture/needling, neuroanatomical needling, Percutaneous Functional Neuromodulation™ (Dr. Elorriaga's), PENS, minimally invasive physiotherapy techniques, motor point stimulation techniques, etc. At the same time, there are not yet universally accepted gold standards of practice among physiotherapists, or any other health professional, for the use of these needling techniques.

This online course will focus on clarifying the value of these techniques with a review of the current science knowledge on the physiology of the response to these techniques.

Relevance to Physiotherapy Practice

Physiotherapists must understand the current state of knowledge on needling techniques in order to be able to best evaluate when, how and with which risks and advantages the techniques can be incorporated into a physiotherapy treatment, in order to achieve the best clinical results on each case.  

Audience

Any physiotherapist interested in the use of "needle-based nerve stimulation techniques" will benefit from this session.

Learning Objectives: 

Upon completion of this online course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain to other colleagues and clients the nature of "needle-based nerve stimulation techniques", the current nomenclature used in different countries and some of the issues involved in the legislation and practice of these techniques among physiotherapists.
2. Review current scientific literature discussing physiological responses in humans and other mammals to "needle-based nerve stimulation techniques" in an array of conditions, including pain with movement disorders, cardiovascular disease, PCOS, stroke, insomnia and others.
3. Decide on the value of integrating "needle-based nerve stimulation techniques" into a contemporary physiotherapy practice

Speaker Bio: Dr. Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco, MD, Sports Medicine Specialist (Spain) 

Dr. Elorriaga is the founding Director (1998) of the McMaster University Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Program and the McMaster University Neurofunctional Sports Performance Specialist Program. He is an international Sports Medicine consultant, who has worked with hundreds of professional athletes and thousands of clients over three decades while at the same time teaching extensively. He also has a background in exercise physiology research, and, in the last 25 years, he has taught hundreds of postgraduate courses in Percutaneous Functional Neuromodulation Techniques (such as his PFN™) and Manual techniques (such as his Neurofunctional Soft Tissue Micro-conditioning™ technique) to thousands of health care professionals in over twenty countries.

This Online Course is Brought to you by the Acupuncture Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association