Description: Dr. Osama Imam presents dry needling mechanisms, trigger point examination reliability, central and peripheral effects, interpretation of sham trials, and mechanism based clinical reasoning. The Advanced Rehab Community guest talk is scheduled for October 19, 2026, with a recording planned for members. Complete the learning assessment to earn up to 1 Category A CEU. Included with paid ARC membership; no additional course fee. Membership is $30/month or $249/year.

Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Differentiate dry needling from acupuncture by clinical intent, tissue focus, and diagnostic framework 2. Discuss the trigger point model, including its reliability and examiner error 3. Describe how a trigger point forms 4. Recognize segmental drivers of reflexive hypertonicity 5. Explain the local twitch response 6. Describe the central mechanisms of dry needling 7. Explain the peripheral and chemical mechanisms of dry needling 8. Summarize the evidence for needling and electroacupuncture effects on tendon, cartilage, bone, and connective tissue 9. Critically appraise sham-controlled needling trials 10. Select dosing parameters based on treatment goals 11. Integrate mechanism-based reasoning into choosing where to needle, how deep, at what dose, and with what intent, rather than chasing pain

Presenter(s): Dr. Osama Imam, DPT, FAAOMPT

Status: Active

Activity Difficulty Level: Mastery

Domains:

• Assessment
• Evaluation and Diagnosis
• Therapeutic Intervention

Format: Virtual Asynchronous - On Demand

Dual Credentials and JA: Athletic Trainers Only

Start Date & Time: 10/18/2026 12:00 PM CDT

End Date & Time: 10/10/2031 11:59 PM CDT

Cost: $0.00

Capacity: 1000

CEUs: 1