About Us

No. While Stella Maris offers pelvic health and obstetrics, we also offer PT for orthopedic and neurologic conditions. We welcome men and women with any physical concern to contact us to learn if physical therapy services may be to your benefit.

Upon your initial evaluation, a licensed physical therapist will take a brief history including pertinent medical history, as well as the onset and/or cause of the symptoms you are seeking care for. Your PT will then analyze movement, body structure and function, and various PT tests to determine the most likely cause of your pain and/or dysfunction. Every patient and thus every evaluation is unique, though we strive to give you some form of treatment or home exercises aimed at helping you achieve decreased pain and progress towards your goals immediately. Your PT will also make recommendations for an appropriate length and duration of follow up visits. We simply ask that you wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict your movement.

“Dry needling (APTA) is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. Dry needling (DN) is a technique used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle, fascia, and connective tissue, and, diminish persistent peripheral nociceptive input, and reduce or restore impairments of body structure and function leading to improved activity and participation.”

While dry needling uses the same needles that are used for acupuncture, the methodology is very different. Acupuncture is an eastern medicine technique which follows laws of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dry needling was built upon laws of physics, biology, chemistry, and neuro-anatomy.

Dry needling typically involves little to no discomfort, as the needles are extremely thin. Many people report that they don’t feel anything at all when a needle is inserted. Some may feel a dull ache in response to a muscle “twitch” that can occur in response to a needle insertion. This sensation is typically very mild, brief, and does not cause any lingering pain.

In a nutshell, the benefits of dry needling include decreased pain and faster healing of the affected area. Using an approach called Integrative Dry Needling, we follow pathways along the nerves that connect to the site of your pain, which can decrease the amount of pain you experience and expedite your body’s natural process of healing.