Podcast  Course

Trigger Points: An Investigation of Dry Needling, Intra-Muscular Therapy and Acupuncture

A pathological shortening of muscle fibers in part of a muscle…yep, that's a trigger point.
(number of) NCCAOM PDA
Beyond the conflicts around scope of practice, the theories and practice of dry needling and intra-muscular therapies give us a deeper look into how acupuncture works on ahshi or trigger points from a bio-medicine physiological perspective. 

Practitioners of this rebranded form of acupuncture have a modern biomedicine perspective on how trigger points, as well as how localized qi and blood stagnation, come about and can be resolved. It's a language that can be useful. 

In this class we take a bi-ocular view for a well-schooled practitioner's perspective on physiology, trigger points, acupuncture and the fantastic career of Janet Travell.
Goals and Objectives
  • Importance of building a palpatory vocabulary
  • Why developing strong palpatory skills helps with gathering sensory information
  • How chronic injuries can have an element of deep-rooted cold
  • Skillful use of language to help your patients feel more comfortable and that you understand them
  • Case study working with trigger points
Course Requirements
NCCAOM National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) Professional Development Activity (PDA) points are awarded for active learning that is earned in an in-person or e-learning environment. 

Registrants must complete all modules in the course, including a mandatory worksheet, and pass the end of course assessment. Passing is 70%.
Meet Your instructor

Josh Lerner, L.Ac

My initial interests in Chinese medicine were based on my years of study of Chinese and Japanese language, Daoism, and martial arts, so I started off with a heavy interest in being a scholar/physician, combing through classical texts and using herbs to treat complex internal medicine disorders.
And then . . . I started meeting and learning from practitioners, both within the field of TCM and western medicine, who specialized in orthopedics and sports medicine; practitioners who inspired and impressed me in a way that no one else had, giving me the feeling of “Wow, that’s who I want to be when I grow up.” There were many acupuncturists with martial arts backgrounds who specialized in tuina and other forms of manual medicine, physical therapists, occupational therapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. I ended up falling in love with the immediacy and demanding intricacy of orthopedic and manual medicine.

So now I combine acupuncture, tuina, other forms of manual medicine, herbs, and physical movement practices with all of my patients while I continue to discover massive blind spots and gaps in my knowledge that require further learning and study.

Other Course Offerings

Created with