Dry Needling & Holistic Healing Masterclass: Introduction
A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Clinicians
Some of the most common questions I get when teaching for Intricate Art Spine and Body Solutions is: "How can I explain dry needling to my patients?"; “Can you give us an elevator pitch for dry needling?”; “Do you still have your patient’s exercise?”; and, “How do you structure your sessions?”. Since joining the team at Intricate Art, our vision for a healthier America has led us to compile and synthesize knowledge from various clinical and scientific sources—and as one of the trusted instructors, I have been honored to carry the message forward of “holistic healing for all”. Moreover, that is how the Health Hive was born, a place where I can practice what I preach. Here is my simplified, zoomed-out explanation of how to best achieve a healthier America through dry needling.
A Bird’s-Eye View of Healing
Rather than diving straight into micro-anatomy, I prefer to take a bird’s-eye view of the body. While some may consider this approach reductionist, I find it more holistic—helping us hone in on the root of dysfunction.
Most chronic conditions that Americans suffer from can be traced back to sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity—a state of continuous stress in the body. Think of it like bathing in a bottle of “Last Dab” hot sauce: overstimulation that causes internal chaos. When the autonomic nervous system is stuck in sympathetic overdrive, every system in the body suffers.
How Sympathetic Dominance Impacts the Body
Prolonged sympathetic activation can cause a cascade of negative physiological effects:
Elevated blood pressure and heart rate
Arrhythmias and premature ventricular contractions
Reduced nerve conduction velocity
Decreased oxygen saturation and liver function
Increased pain, anxiety, muscle tension, and tissue hypoxia
As sympathetic activity increases, parasympathetic functions—the body's rest, digest, and healing mechanisms—are suppressed. This imbalance can disrupt the neuromusculoskeletal system and make true healing difficult.
Lifestyle Habits Matter—But Not Everyone Will Change
This article will not dive deeply into lifestyle pillars like sleep, diet, and exercise—but they matter. Exercise is the king of medicine—full stop. Therefore, this article will elaborate briefly on the Health Hive’s approach to exercise implementation for early stage rehabilitation and untrained athletes.
Implementing the basic lifestyle pillars can extend your lifespan by over a decade. Health Hive recommends the following experts like Dr. Peter Attia, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Andy Galpin, Dr. Jason Schuster, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Dr. Rhonda Patrick for actionable insights on these topics.
That said, most people struggle to build or maintain healthy habits. And many simply will not. Everyone still deserves compassionate care and worthwhile relief. Clinicians of all professions take an oath to provide such care, therefore Health Hive upholds that oath by seeing the world through a realistic lens and meets patients where they are with a hope to inspire them with actionable steps towards a healthier life. That is why it's critical to offer alternative therapies that regulate the nervous system naturally and support the body’s innate healing capacity—even if lifestyle changes are not adopted.
Exercise: Powerful, But Often Underutilized Effectively
Research shows that developing new sarcomeres (muscle fibers) takes roughly eight weeks of training, three times per week—that is 24 sessions. Yet, most insurance-approved PT plans only cover 8–12 visits (if that).
This means building significant muscle mass during traditional PT is nearly impossible. And with 79% of Americans classified as overweight or obese, compliance with home exercise is low (30-50%). Physical therapists often lean on exercise as a core tool—but it is the least likely to be performed outside the clinic.
At Health Hive, when we use exercise as a complimentary tool, we use Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training—a scientifically validated way to stimulate hypertrophy using just 40% of a patient’s 1RM which is much less than the traditional >85% 1RM (heavy) load that is utilized in PT clinics and gyms for musculoskeletal changes. Within just four weeks, patients can see 10–20% greater gains with BFR compared to traditional loading. It is our “cheat code” for strength gains—and it is paired with nervous system regulation for maximum impact.
The Ultimate Passive Combination: Dry Needling and Joint Manipulation
Dry needling, especially when combined with joint manipulation, helps reduce tissue pathology while restoring autonomic nervous system homeostasis. In other words, it helps bring balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The most attractive parts for patients is that they do not have to do anything—they lay in a comfortable position and the clinician does all the work. This is excellent for any patient who is seriously acute (filled with recent pain), facing a persistent issue, or has reservations towards exercise.
This dual treatment approach allows the mind and body to fully access their healing potential—something that is often blocked by chronic sympathetic dominance. It is not just about relieving pain; it is about restoring physiological balance and promoting whole-body health.
Final Thoughts
While dry needling may look simple from the outside, the internal impact is profound. Dry needling is a tool that taps into the nervous system, calms systemic hyperactivity, and promotes true healing—especially for those who can not (or will not) commit to lifestyle overhauls. For physical therapists seeking long-lasting outcomes, dry needling paired with joint manipulation and BFR training is the golden triangle. If the patient cannot or will not perform exercise, the dynamic duo is dry needling with joint manipulations. The King of interventions is exercise. But, the champion of interventions best suited for all people, is dry needling; it is the most powerful intervention available, regardless of patient status, beliefs, motivation, and ability.
Continue to the Dry Needling & Holistic Healing Masterclass: How Does Dry Needling Work? for an in-depth explanation on how dry needling works and why it is so powerful as an intervention. By the end of the Masterclass Series, you will learn about: Dry Needling Normalizes Tissues; Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture; Reducing Sympathetic Stimulation; Piston and Pecking vs. Place and Twist.
References
Dalley AF, II, Agur AMR. Moore’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 9e. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer business; 2023. Accessed August 07, 2025. https://premiumbasicsciences.lwwhealthlibrary.com/book.aspx?bookid=3187§ionid=0
Alshak MN, Das JM. Neuroanatomy, Sympathetic Nervous System. [Updated 2023 May 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542195/
McAphee D, Bagwell M, Falsone S. Dry Needling: A Clinical Commentary. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2022 Jun 1;17(4):551-555. doi: 10.26603/001c.35693. PMID: 35693854; PMCID: PMC9159711.
DISCLAIMER: The content on the blog for Health Hive, LLC is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. The information contained in this blog should not be used to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease or health illness. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Please consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare professional before acting on any information presented here.