GT Physical Therapy Pascagoula

11/07/2025

📍DRY NEEDLING + ELECTRICAL STIM FOR KNEE OA: What the Research Actually Shows

If you’re dealing with knee osteoarthritis (OA), you’ve probably been told your only options are meds, injections, or surgery.
But here’s the truth — the pain isn’t just from the joint. It’s also from neuromuscular inhibition, altered load distribution, and sensitized soft tissues around the knee that stop muscles like your quads and glutes from doing their job.

That’s where dry needling (DN) — especially when combined with electrical stimulation (EDN) — can change the game.

🔬 Evidence Says:
• Studies (e.g., Sánchez-Milá et al., Clin Rehabil, 2018; Perreault et al., JOSPT, 2020) show electrical dry needling to the quadriceps and periarticular knee muscles significantly reduces pain and improves function in knee OA patients.
• EDN can help reactivate inhibited motor units, reduce central sensitization, and improve gait mechanics when integrated with strengthening and functional loading.
• The effect is amplified when combined with an exercise-based rehab plan — not as a standalone treatment.

⚙️ How It Works
• The needles target neuromuscular trigger points and arthrogenic muscle inhibition zones.
• The electrical current promotes muscle re-education, circulatory improvement, and descending pain modulation.
• End result: less pain, better muscle recruitment, smoother movement.

🧠 The Misconceptions
• ❌ It doesn’t “cure arthritis.”
• ✅ It helps your body move better with arthritis.
• The real win comes when dry needling is followed by progressive strengthening, balance training, and gait retraining.

Takeaway

Dry needling with e-stim is an evidence-based adjunct, not a gimmick. It’s about modulating pain, restoring motor control, and allowing you to train without guarding.

When paired with targeted quad and hip strengthening, it can help you:
• Walk farther without pain
• Climb stairs more efficiently
• Delay or avoid more invasive procedures

👉 At GT Physical Therapy, we use this science-driven approach to help our knee OA patients move better, hurt less, and get back to doing what they love — without relying on injections or endless meds.

11/04/2025

💥 Is your headache really coming from your neck? 💥
Cervicogenic headaches often start with stiffness or tension in the upper neck — not just stress or dehydration. When the joints and muscles at the base of your skull get irritated, they can refer pain right behind your eyes or temples.

At GT Physical Therapy, we treat the root cause — restoring neck mobility, releasing tight musculature, and retraining posture and movement patterns so the pain stays gone.

👋 If you’ve been dealing with “headaches” that never seem to go away, it might actually be your neck asking for help.
📍 Pascagoula | 💪 Move Better. Feel Better. Live Better.
👇 Comment “HEADACHE” and we’ll message you more info on how PT can help!

11/02/2025

🎾 Understanding Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow isn’t just about the elbow — it’s often the result of a breakdown in the entire kinetic chain. 💪

When one part of your movement system underperforms — whether it’s limited shoulder mobility, weak scapular stabilizers, or poor wrist mechanics — the elbow takes on extra stress. Over time, this leads to tendon irritation and pain with gripping, lifting, or even simple daily tasks.

At GT Physical Therapy, we don’t just chase pain. We assess the full chain — shoulder ➝ elbow ➝ wrist ➝ grip — to restore balance, mobility, and strength where it matters.
Our comprehensive approach combines:
✅ Manual therapy & ASTYM to promote tissue healing
✅ Neuromuscular re-education for efficient movement
✅ Progressive, evidence-based loading to build resilience

Whether you’re an athlete or an everyday worker, restoring the whole system is key to lasting recovery.

📍GT Physical Therapy | Pascagoula, MS
💬 DM us to schedule your comprehensive upper extremity evaluation

10/31/2025

🎃💀 Happy Halloween from GT Physical Therapy Pascagoula! 👻

Even our skeleton crew is feeling strong this spooky season 💪🦴

We’re wrapping up a successful 2nd week here at GTPT — helping more of our community move better, feel better, and live better every day. Thank you to everyone who’s stopped by, referred a friend, or trusted us with your care!

Stay spooky and stay moving! 🕸️
— Dr. Austin & the GTPT Team

10/30/2025

✨Dry Needling for De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis✨
Struggling with thumb or wrist pain that just won’t go away—especially with gripping, lifting, or typing? You might be dealing with De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, a condition caused by irritation of the tendons along the thumb side of your wrist.

At GT Physical Therapy, we use Dry Needling to:
✅ Reduce pain around the tendon sheath
✅ Release tight muscle tissue in the forearm and thumb
✅ Improve blood flow to promote healing
✅ Accelerate recovery when combined with manual therapy and targeted strengthening

Patients often report improved motion and grip strength after just a few sessions.

If your wrist pain is limiting your work or workouts, you don’t have to live with it.
📍 Visit us at GT Physical Therapy Pascagoula
📞 228-471-5047
💻 gtptonthecoast@gmail.com

10/29/2025

💪 Understanding Arthritis — What You Can Do Today

Arthritis isn’t just one condition — there are over 100 types, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus.

👉 Key Facts
• Aging doesn’t mean you have to live with joint pain
• Imaging (like X-rays or MRIs) doesn’t decide if you need surgery
• Surgery is a last option after therapy and other conservative care
• The right physical therapy makes all the difference

🏡 Simple Ways to Protect Your Joints at Home
• Eat more protein to strengthen muscles and support joint tissue
• Add resistance training 2–3x per week
• Stay active — walking or cycling helps mobility
• Avoid long periods of sitting
• Maintain a healthy body weight to reduce joint stress

🚨 When to Seek Help
If you struggle with:
– Standing or walking 30 minutes
– Fully straightening a knee
– Lifting your arms overhead
– Morning stiffness or leaning for support

Physical therapists are movement and joint health experts — and we’re here to help you move better, feel better, and live better.

📍 GT Physical Therapy – Pascagoula, MS
📞 228-471-5047 | gtptonthecoast@gmail.com

10/28/2025

10/27/2025

🚀 GT Physical Therapy — Week 1 in the Books

One week down and we’re already delivering outcomes. Thank you to the patients, providers, and families who trusted us to get them moving better — fast.

We exist for one reason: results that translate to real life — work, play, and everything in between. If pain or mobility is limiting performance, we have a solution and a plan to execute it.

Next step:
📞 228-471-5047
📍 1408 Ingalls Avenue, Pascagoula

We’re here, we’re local, and we’re raising the standard of care on the Gulf Coast. Let’s build momentum. 💪

Book your evaluation. Spots this week are already filling.