Dry Needling Saved One Clinician's Career

UNCAGED CLINICIAN
Blog

September 21, 2025

And started a new one!

We all know the phrase “work smarter, not harder”.

When it comes to how we treat as clinicians, the saying is even more applicable; especially when the work environment calls for high volume.

As therapists, it is probably wise to discover ways in which we can preserve our bodies for the long haul.

This could be in order to get through a long day, a tough week, or an entire career.

The last thing we want to do is to punish our bodies so strenuously that we are forced to surrender treating clients altogether.

These scenarios are what lead uncaged clinician, Scott Dixon, PT, DPT, owner of ATHLETIC DRY NEEDLING AND SPINAL MANIPULATION in Jacksonville, FL, to go all-in with dry needling as his predominant treatment approach.

Talk about niching down.

While most clinicians struggle with identifying an ideal client, Scott has thrown all of his chips into a single technique.

That gamble has paid off well.

Perhaps most importantly for Scott, becoming proficient at dry needling has rekindled his passion for being a physical therapist.

He says the results his clients receive truly transform their lives. For that, he is beyond grateful.

Through dry needling, Dixon has found a way to preserve his hands.

He has also found another benefit with regards to his longevity.

Scott recognized that the quality of treatment sessions throughout his day were becoming compromised due to his ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) diagnosis.

Dry needling offers a highly effective solution to pain and movement restrictions without requiring extensive time or mental expenditure.

Dixon now finds that he has as much energy to bring to his last client of the day as he does to his first client.

When Dixon discovered dry needling, he committed to learning as much as possible on the subject.

He has earned certifications from eight different educational companies.

This has led to a third benefit for Dixon - his own teaching platform for dry needling. 

Scott now offers continuing education courses around the country via his ATHLETIC DRY NEEDLING Company.  

His educational platform has seen enough growth that he now has five additional instructors on his team.

One may wonder if dry needling, alone, can support a therapy practice.

Scott shares that his daily schedule remains full with clients.

He often gets referrals from other clinics because of his expertise in needling.

While balancing  seeing clients and teaching around the US, Scott has developed a reputation with the National Football League’s (NFL) Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as scores of players from around the NFL.

The number of players requesting his services keeps his travel log a bit more than hectic.

Scott recognizes that more and more clinicians are looking to gain a dry needling certification because of its effectiveness.

He offers three considerations when choosing an educational company:

• Your ideal client, and the reason for utilizing the technique with them

• Areas of the body where you want to focus (treating with dry needling)

• Time and location

Dixon feels that all the companies out there teaching dry needling are good ones.  

It boils down to the clinician’s particular needs.

He should know. He’s learned from virtually all of them.

You can learn more from Scott Dixon by following him on social media and by checking out his own podcast - Athletic Dry Needling Podcast.

Want to hear more of the conversation between Scott Dixon and myself, and about dry needling?

Be sure to tune into the Sept 24, 2025 release of the UNCAGED CLINICIAN Podcast.

At Uncaged Clinician, we're excited about all the ways a clinician can find to becoming UNCAGED as defined by them.

If you're interested in becoming a student of our new university, visit uncagedclinician.com and schedule a free Growth Strategy Call with us.

Let's work together to break through the ceiling and unlock the full potential of your practice.

Also, be sure to check out our website for other resources!

Your Success is our success!

The UNCAGED team