Dry Needling in Northwest Indiana
A powerful tool for pain relief, recovery and performance, built into one-on-one, full-hour physical therapy. We use dry needling to calm pain, release tight muscles and get the right muscles firing, then build on that progress so it lasts.
Book Your EvaluationQuestions first? Call (219) 533-7322Sound familiar?
We use dry needling with athletes at every level and active adults who want to keep moving. It’s never a stand-alone fix. It’s one tool inside a full plan of care built around your goals.
Tight muscles that won’t let go
Stretching, foam rolling and massage help for a day, then the tightness comes right back.
Pain that limits your training
Lifting, running or practice feels harder than it should because something always hurts.
Beat up in season
You’re in the middle of a season and want to keep competing while your body recovers.
Neck and back tension
Stiffness and knots in your neck, shoulders or back that keep coming back.
Recovering from injury or surgery
Pain and muscle guarding are slowing down your rehab.
Pain that keeps coming back
Other treatments helped for a while, but the problem keeps returning.
Curious about dry needling
You’ve heard it helps athletes and want to know if it’s right for you.
Not sure what to do next
Feeling lost or confused, with no clear plan or approach from another provider.
Where dry needling can help
We use dry needling for muscle and soft tissue pain all over the body, always alongside hands-on care and strength work.
Neck & back
- Neck pain & stiffness
- Low back pain
- Upper back & shoulder blade tension
- Neck-related headaches
Shoulder & arm
- Shoulder pain
- Rotator cuff pain
- Tennis & golfer’s elbow
- Overhead athlete soreness
Hip & leg
- Hip & glute pain
- Hamstring tightness & strains
- IT band & quad tightness
- Knee pain
Lower leg & foot
- Calf tightness & strains
- Shin splints
- Achilles pain
- Plantar fasciitis
A great tool inside a complete plan
Dry needling can be one of the fastest ways to calm pain and get you moving better. For most people, it works best as part of a complete treatment plan. Based on your evaluation, we combine it with the hands-on care and exercise you need, so you make real progress and keep it.
Book your evaluation →Treatments we pair it with
A full hour, 1-on-1
Every visit is a full hour with your clinician, never split between multiple patients.
Electrical stimulation
Often paired with dry needling, following best practice, to help calm and regulate the nervous system.
Soft tissue & massage work
Hands-on and instrument-assisted techniques to release tension, improve mobility and support recovery.
Cupping
Used to ease muscle tension and help you move more freely.
Joint mobilization & manipulation
Hands-on techniques to restore how your joints move when stiffness is part of the problem.
Corrective exercise
Targeted exercise to build strength and control so the changes from treatment actually last.
Blood flow restriction training
Light-load strength work with a controlled cuff, so you can build strength while protecting a healing area.
Nutrition guidance
General guidance to support your recovery, whether your goal is building muscle, losing weight or feeling your best.
VALD strength testing
Force plates and ForceFrame show asymmetries and strength deficits so we know exactly what to work on.
Hear it from our patients
Real Proven Performance patients, in their own words.
Functional athlete · From ER-level neck and low back pain to pain-free
Firefighter · Shoulder replacement recovery
How getting started works
Book your evaluation
Send us your details. Our patient coordinator will reach out to answer questions and get you on the schedule.
1-on-1 evaluation
A thorough assessment of the injured area, how you move and how you train, so we understand what's going on and why.
Your plan back to sport
You'll leave with a clear, individualized plan to get back to running, lifting, training or competing.
Have insurance? Most of our patients do.
They use their out-of-network benefits with us, so every visit is a full hour, one-on-one with your therapist, never split between multiple patients. We provide detailed receipts you can submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement paid directly to you, and after your first visit you’ll know your plan of care and total investment up front.
- HSA
- FSA
- HRA
- Cherry financing
- CareCredit
- In-house payment plans
Patients travel to us from all over
We’re based in Merrillville, and patients come to us from across Northwest Indiana, Chicagoland and Southwest Michigan. Some travel from as far as Milwaukee and the Indianapolis area.
Dry needling questions
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
No. Indiana lets you see a physical therapist directly, so you can book your evaluation and get started without a referral. If your care continues past 42 days, Indiana requires a referral to keep going, and we’ll coordinate that with your doctor for you.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a treatment where a thin, sterile needle is placed into specific muscles to help reduce pain, release tension and improve how those muscles work. We usually pair it with electrical stimulation, a best-practice approach that helps calm and regulate the nervous system. Depending on your needs, we use it to relax tight, overactive muscles or help weak, underactive muscles fire better, so you can move, train and recover more effectively.
Does dry needling hurt?
Most people feel a quick pinch, a dull ache or a brief muscle twitch. Some soreness afterward is common and usually fades within a day or two. Your therapist checks in with you the whole time.
Can I just come in for dry needling?
Dry needling is a great tool, but we don’t offer it as a single service. Combining it with soft tissue work, massage, cupping, corrective exercise, joint mobilizations, manipulation and other interventions when necessary is what gets you the best result. No single modality will fix what you have going on. It’s the full treatment approach, and the philosophy behind it, that gets you better. Everything starts with a full evaluation so we can build the right plan for you.
How long is each visit?
Every session is a full hour, one-on-one with your clinician.
Do you take insurance?
We’re an out-of-network clinic. Most of our patients have insurance and use their out-of-network benefits with us. We accept HSA, FSA and HRA, offer Cherry financing, CareCredit and in-house payment plans, and provide detailed receipts you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
Where are you located?
5210 E 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410. Patients travel to us from all over Northwest Indiana, Chicagoland and Southwest Michigan, including Crown Point, Valparaiso, Dyer, Schererville, St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Hobart, Portage, Chesterton, La Porte, Rensselaer and Chicago.
Book your evaluation
Leave your name, phone and email and our Patient Care Coordinator will reach out within 3–5 minutes during business hours, often sooner, to answer your questions and get you scheduled.
Proven Performance Physical Therapy
5210 E 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410
Serving Northwest Indiana