Questions about a course or state approval? Text us at (919) 307-7973
Live seminar agendas & details
Choose the training that meets you where you are.
Compare the full learning progression, prerequisites and clinical focus of MDN Level 1, Level 2 and Pelvic Floor Dry Needling.
27 CE hours for Levels 1 & 2
Self-paced
Lifetime course access
Continuing education for licensed healthcare professionals
Senior-level PT, AT & DC students welcome where permitted
Continuing education for licensed healthcare professionals
Senior-level PT, AT & DC students welcome where permitted
Jump to a course
Start here • 3 days • 27 CE hours
Dry Needling Level 1
A practical introduction to using dry needling responsibly in clinical practice. Level 1 builds the safety, anatomy, palpation and whole-body reasoning foundation that everything else in MDN rests on.
MOST POPULAR
Build a foundation you can reproduce.
Learn through explanation, demonstration, experience and closely supervised practice.
Day 1
10 hours
8:00–9:00 — Introductory lecture: literature review, history and controversy
9:00–10:00 — Safety, contraindications, adverse effects, needle handling and disposal
10:00–11:00 — Needle insertion and needle palpation techniques
11:00–1:00 — Rotator cuff and shoulder insertion and practice
1:00–2:00 — Lunch
2:00–4:00 — Upper-extremity insertion and practice
4:00–5:30 — Posterior hip insertion and practice
5:30–7:00 — Review and discussion
Day 2
10 hours
8:00–10:00 — Thoracolumbar insertion and practice
10:00–12:00 — Posterior cervical and posterior thorax insertion and practice
12:00–1:00 — Anterior hip insertion and practice
1:00–2:00 — Lunch
2:00–4:30 — Lower-extremity insertion and practice
4:30–7:00 — Anterior cervical and anterior thorax insertion and practice
Day 3
10 hours
8:00–9:30 — Abdominal and anterior pelvis insertion and practice
9:30–11:30 — Review and practice of significant clinical regions
11:30–12:30 — Total Motion Release introduction and application in dry needling practice
12:30–1:30 — Neural Therapy introduction and application
1:30–3:00 — Review, discussion and post-course testing
What Level 1 covers
Trigger points and myofascial pain, muscle and soft-tissue applications, three-dimensional anatomy, TMR concepts, Neural Therapy concepts and the MDN seven-step process.
Needle palpation
Learn to identify normal and abnormal muscle, scar, ligament, tendon, musculotendinous junction, adipose and periosteal tissues through the needle tip.
Safety first
Contraindications, adverse effects, blood-borne pathogen precautions, appropriate depth and angle, and safe handling and disposal are emphasized throughout.
Complete course description
What this seminar teaches
This three-day introductory course prepares eligible healthcare professionals to use dry needling in clinical practice. It begins with the history of dry needling and a comparison with acupuncture; this is not an acupuncture course.
Participants review regional and three-dimensional anatomy and the pathophysiology of common disorders. The course addresses trigger points, myofascial pain syndromes, musculoskeletal injuries and disorders, and musculotendinous, tenoperiosteal and ligamentous applications.
An introduction to Total Motion Release, founded by Tom Dalonzo-Baker, PT, is included as time permits. Safety, contraindications and proper handling of potential blood-borne pathogens remain central throughout the weekend.
The course places heavy emphasis on practical, hands-on learning. Participants review anatomy, practice every region with a lab partner and learn needle palpation—the identification of normal and abnormal muscle, scar, ligament, tendon, musculotendinous junction, adipose and periosteal tissues through the advancing needle tip.
Because every attendee must both perform and receive needling during the experiential labs, pregnant participants cannot attend this course.
Before you register
Prerequisites
Your state practice act must include dry needling within your professional scope of practice.
You must have active malpractice insurance; employer, clinic, company, university or college coverage is acceptable.
Every attendee signs a liability waiver and confirms that they are not pregnant.
Learning objectives
What you will be able to do
Explain dry needling history and clinical applications.
Identify precipitating and perpetuating factors in trigger-point syndromes.
Identify ligamentous and tenoperiosteal tissues through surface anatomy.
Understand and apply Total Motion Release concepts within treatment.
Identify tissue encountered at the needle tip through needle palpation.
Discuss and apply electrical stimulation to inserted needles.
Understand normal and abnormal muscle-contraction physiology.
Identify muscle attachments and trigger points through surface anatomy and muscle testing.
Insert needles into each identified tissue using the appropriate depth and angle.
Understand absolute and relative contraindications to dry needling.
Use the different needling techniques and forms of stimulation used in the field.
Plan ahead
Course preparation
Level 1 and Level 2 run Friday through Sunday: 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Sunday.
Labs are experiential: every attendee performs dry needling and receives needling.
Location, hotel and travel information appears with each course on the registration page.
Needles and other class materials are provided at no additional cost.
Lunch is not provided. Light snacks are available throughout the day
Wear comfortable clothing that allows access to the spine and upper and lower extremities; leave jewelry and other accessories at home.
The manual and handouts are emailed approximately one week before class. Printing is optional; a digital copy may be used.
Bring an internet-capable tablet or laptop and headphones for the technique videos used during class.
ADVANCED COURSE
Move from how to why.
Connect advanced needling choices to functional change, case presentation and patient outcome.
Advance your practice • 3 days • 27 CE hours
Dry Needling
Level 2
Level 2 expands the foundation into more complex anatomical regions, central and peripheral sensitization, pre- and post-treatment testing, diagnosis-specific applications and advanced tissue techniques.
Day 1
10 hours
8:00–9:00 — Introductory lecture, literature review and recent controversies
9:00–10:00 — Level 1 safety, contraindications, adverse effects, needle handling and disposal review
10:00–11:00 — Needle palpation review: muscle, MTJ, TPJ, ligaments and scars
11:00–1:00 — Elbow and forearm insertion and practice
1:00–2:00 — Lunch
2:00–4:00 — Hand-intrinsic insertion and practice
4:00–5:30 — Smaller muscles of the leg
5:30–7:00 — Review and discussion
Day 2
10 hours
8:00–10:00 — Foot-intrinsic insertion and practice
10:00–1:00 — Anterior and lateral cervical insertion and practice
1:00–2:00 — Lunch
2:00–6:30 — Craniofacial insertion and practice
6:30–7:00 — Review and discussion
Day 3
10 hours
8:00–9:30 — Central and peripheral sensitization
9:30–11:00 — Pre- and post-treatment functional testing and practice
11:00–1:30 — Specific syndromes and case-history presentations
1:30–2:00 — Electrical dry needling update
2:00–3:00 — Review, discussion and post-course testing
Prerequisite:
Master Dry Needling Level 1 or an equivalent introductory dry needling seminar is required before Level 2.
Complete course description
What this seminar teaches
This three-day advanced seminar expands the foundational principles taught in the 27-hour Level 1 course. It maintains a heavy emphasis on hands-on training while adding current research, physiological effects, professional controversies, adverse effects, and peripheral and central sensitization.
Level 2 helps participants understand not only how to needle, but what functional outcomes may be influenced and why an intervention is being selected. Patient and clinician safety, blood-borne pathogen precautions and appropriate handling remain essential throughout.
Participants work in more complex anatomical regions, including the face and the intrinsic muscles of the hands and feet. The course extends beyond trigger-point techniques into musculotendinous, tenoperiosteal, ligamentous and advanced scar-tissue applications.
Needle palpation is reinforced across different body types. Pre- and post-treatment functional assessments, diagnosis-specific cases and proficiency testing connect advanced techniques to clinical decisions and measurable change.
Every participant practices on and receives needling from a lab partner. Pregnant participants cannot attend the experiential seminar.
Before you register
Prerequisites
Your state practice act must include dry needling within your professional scope of practice.
You must have active malpractice insurance.
Every attendee signs a liability waiver and confirms that they are not pregnant.
Master Dry Needling Level 1 or an equivalent introductory dry needling seminar is required.
Learning objectives
What you will be able to do
Explain dry needling history and clinical applications at an advanced level.
Handle potential blood-borne pathogens and follow OSHA requirements.
Understand normal and abnormal muscle-contraction physiology.
Apply dry needling safely to craniofacial tissues and hand and foot intrinsics.
Identify ligamentous and tenoperiosteal tissues through surface anatomy and palpation.
Understand absolute and relative contraindications.
Use advanced needling techniques and forms of stimulation.
Discuss controversial professional issues related to dry needling interventions.
Apply pre- and post-treatment functional outcome testing.
Understand peripheral and central sensitization issues.
Identify muscle attachments and trigger points through surface anatomy and muscle testing.
Insert needles into identified tissues using the appropriate depth and angle.
Distinguish normal and abnormal tissue through needle palpation.
Discuss and apply electrical stimulation to inserted needles.
Plan ahead
Course preparation
Level 1 and Level 2 run Friday through Sunday: 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Sunday.
Labs are experiential: every attendee performs dry needling and receives needling.
Location, hotel and travel information appears with each course on the registration page.
Needles and other class materials are provided at no additional cost.
Lunch is not provided. Light snacks are available throughout the day.
Wear comfortable clothing that allows access to the spine and upper and lower extremities; leave jewelry and other accessories at home.
The manual and handouts are emailed approximately one week before class. Printing is optional; a digital copy may be used.
Bring an internet-capable tablet or laptop and headphones for the technique videos used during class.
Pelvic health • 2 days • 16 CE hours
Master Dry Needling of the Pelvic Floor
A lab-intensive course in external examination and dry needling of female and male pelvic musculature, related neuroanatomical structures, the thoracolumbar spine, abdomen, pelvis and hip complex.
EXTERNAL TECHNIQUES
No internal pelvic-floor needling.
The course combines detailed anatomy, hands-on examination, clinical reasoning and supervised external application.
Day 1
9 hours
8:00–9:00 — Literature review and emergence of the technique
9:00–10:00 — Detailed anatomical review of the pelvic region
10:00–12:00 — Lab: external manual examination of the male and female pelvis
12:00–1:00 — Lunch
1:00–3:00 — Review of dry needling techniques for clinically important muscles outside the pelvic floor
3:00–6:00 — Lab: superior pubic ramus and muscle attachments
Day 2
7 hours
8:00–9:00 — Superficial and deep transverse muscles
9:00–10:00 — Bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus
10:00–11:00 — Obturator internus and externus
11:00–12:00 — Pubococcygeus, iliococcygeus and coccygeus
12:00–2:30 — Ligaments of the hip and pelvic region
2:30–3:00 — Q&A and post-course test
Who it is for
Eligible healthcare professionals whose state rules permit attendance and whose scope includes dry needling.
Clinical focus
Pelvic pain, low-back pain, incontinence, voiding dysfunction, sexual pain or dysfunction, muscle function and tissue sensitivity.
Prerequisite
At least one prior foundational dry needling course is required before registering.
Complete course description
What this seminar teaches
This two-day, lab-intensive seminar teaches eligible healthcare professionals to apply dry needling to female and male pelvic musculature and associated neuroanatomical structures, including the thoracolumbar spine, abdomen, pelvis and hip complex.
The course provides a detailed anatomical review, hands-on external examination techniques and clinical reasoning for disorders of the pelvic region. Applications may be relevant to pelvic pain, low-back pain, incontinence, voiding dysfunction,
and sexual pain or dysfunction.
Participants examine how dry needling may support muscle function, proprioception, pain reduction and normalization of tissue sensitivity. Safety and proper handling of potential blood-borne pathogens are emphasized during every lab.
The course builds on Level 1 or an equivalent introductory course. Every attendee signs a waiver, practices each technique and receives needling from a lab partner.
This course does not use internal pelvic-floor needling. All examination and dry needling techniques taught in the course are external.
Before you register
Prerequisites
Your state practice act must include dry needling within your professional scope of practice.
You must have active malpractice insurance; employer or institutional coverage is acceptable.
Every attendee signs a liability waiver and confirms that they are not pregnant.
At least one prior foundational dry needling course is required.
Learning objectives
What you will be able to do
Demonstrate pelvic, hip, lumbar and abdominal anatomy, palpation and dry needling competency.
Understand neurological-system involvement and dysfunction associated with the pelvic region.
Use injury mechanisms and surgical history to guide pelvic-region intervention selection.
Perform pelvic-region techniques using appropriate safety considerations.
Pass the written examination on dry needling of the pelvic region.
Use clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice to select dry needling interventions.
Apply electrical stimulation with dry needling to pelvic and associated anatomical structures.
Distinguish atrophy from hypertonus in pelvic musculature contributing to patient complaints.
Determine appropriate insertion depth based on complaint and tissue involvement.
Plan ahead
Course preparation
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that makes changing and external lab access easier, such as athletic shorts or a skirt.
Review the relevant pelvic, hip, lumbar and abdominal anatomy before the seminar.
Check the registration page for the specific location, hotel and travel information.
Bring comfortable layers because temperatures vary between clinic locations.
Expect to participate fully in external examination and dry needling labs with a partner.
Read before registering
Hands-on participation is part of every live seminar.
Attendees practice techniques and receive needling from a lab partner. Course eligibility and legal scope vary by profession and state.
Applicable scope of practice
Active malpractice coverage
Signed participant waiver
Not pregnant during participation
Comfortable lab-access clothing
Device and headphones for videos
Ready to train in person?
Choose your city, meet your instructor and reserve your seat.
Practical dry needling education for clinicians who want to think clearly, treat confidently and keep learning.
Explore
© 2026 Total Motion Physical Therapy, Inc.