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Hi guys,

What is the general consensus about performing dry needling on a patient who is trying to have a baby. (Not pregnant yet)

Or performing the procedure on a patient who finds out that they are pregnant a few weeks post treatment?

I have a patient who presents with a large plantar verruca which has not improved with caustic treatments. This particular patient leads a busy lifestyle and dry needling would be a solution to her problem, however she is trying to conceive.


Does anyone have any opinions on this matter?:morning:
I would appreciate any help.

Vicky

 

Don't see a problem with it. No chemicals involved so no risk of toxicity. Minimal risk of infection. Dive right in.

 

Ditto

 

Thank you for your reponses.

I will contact the patient and book her in.

Regards

Vicky

 

I'm guessing you will be freezing the area. Anesthetic may carry a low risk of miscarriage if administered in the first trimester. We've delayed nail surgeries in suspected and confirmed early pregnancy and waited until a safer time. Also possible link to learning delay/disabilities in babies exposed prenatally.
This would be a problem if they were indeed a few weeks pregnant at the time.
Sarah

 

Hello
I have no experience in dry needling but in my opinion you should:
- make a pregnancy test - if negative go ahead
- if positive - wait till after the pregnancy.

I tend to do more aggresive treatments like ablative therapy with a co2 laser.
If it is not desirable or you have no CO2 laser than I will do one ore more sessions of photodynamic therapy. IPL or Diode (ND-YAG ) lasers are alternatives.
Greetings

 

Last time I looked there were chemicals in my local anaesthetics - having said that shouldn't cause a problem - caution in first trimester with locals - also be careful if she's having IVF - again shouldn't be a problem but better not to have the finger of blame pointed at oneself.

 

True. The BMA and PSGB suggest that all drugs should be avoided if possible during the first trimester, although many pregnant women receive LA by way of epidural injection as part of their pain relief management during delivery, without adverse effects, as the dose is considered safe...But, the question was not about using LA on an already pregnant pt was it?

However, I agree. I would suggest that the pt put off needling if she is pregnant and until after breast feeding has ceased as LA has been identified as being secreted into the mothers` milk.

Cheers,
Bel
PS, Are you listening to radio 2? The Eagles were playing ;)

 

I have use dry needling on a few of my patients with some great outcomes, especially mosaic verruca's.

However, I saw a Lady today with a mosaic group of veucca's on one foot, which would be perfect too dry needle. However she is taking Methotrexate and Arava for RA. These are known drugs that decrease the immune system.

Do you think I would still get some immune response if I still dry needled her verruca's?

 

Good question without a real answer I suspect. Is she not getting rid of the virus because she has a weakened immune system or is it just that it hasn't seen it ?(rhetorical q) if you needle and successfully present the virus will the immune system respond? Who knows without trying - when I studied at the London foot hospital we had HIV pts in the vp clinic and we often got results with traditional caustic treatments but they sometimes had new ones pop up elsewhere- I had a patient on azothiaprine and she kept getting loads of Vps- they would resolve after long bouts of caustic t.t but she would get new ones- we gave up in the end (this was before I started needling patients) - I think in these cases you have to decide whether it's worth trying and I guess that would depend on how much of a problem the vp is causing- if the patient is in a lot of pain I would say give it a go as long as there are no contraindications.
Just my 2p