Specialized Dry Needling in Washington DC

Overcome Stubborn Pain and Tension

Our expert dry needling techniques target trigger points to relieve pain, improve mobility, and accelerate your recovery from nagging injuries.

Don't Let Muscle Pain Limit Your Performance

Tension Creates Compensation

Untreated trigger points force your body to move inefficiently, causing new problems.

Surface Treatments Fall Short

Traditional approaches often address symptoms without targeting the root cause.

Recovery Time Lost

Persistent muscle tension slows healing and keeps you away from training longer.

Tagline

We Help You Break Through Recovery Plateaus

Our specialized dry needling approach targets the source of your pain and tension, giving you a powerful tool to overcome stubborn issues that haven't responded to other treatments.

Release Deep Tension: Target trigger points that other treatments can't effectively reach.

Accelerate Recovery: Improve blood flow and release muscle tightness for faster healing.

Return to Training: Get back to your activities with reduced pain and improved function.

A Targeted Approach to Pain Relief

Precision Treatment from Certified Specialists

Our dry needling techniques are performed by certified physical therapists who understand athletic performance and target the specific areas that will have the greatest impact on your recovery.

Expert Practitioners

Our therapists have advanced certifications in dry needling techniques.

Faster Results

Often provides immediate relief where other methods have failed.

Targeted Approach

Precision treatment focused on your specific pain generators.

Integrated Care

Combined with movement therapy for comprehensive recovery.

"He uses dry needling and soft tissue work effectively to relieve pain, and works collaboratively with me to adjust exercises so they work for me."

Karen Kane
How We Work

Your Path to Peak Performance

Book Your Free Phone Consultation

Schedule a comprehensive assessment focused on your specific goals and challenges.

Get a Personalized Plan

Receive expert care and a clear roadmap designed for your body and performance needs.

Perform at Your Best

Return to training with confidence, equipped to reach new levels of performance.

Verified Google Reviews

What Our Athletes Say About Us

See how our personalized approach has helped active adults and runners in DC overcome pain and return stronger than before.

“The team at Joe Norton Therapy was outstanding—talented, knowledgeable, results-oriented, and highly personable. Since the time of our son’s injury, it has been a pleasure working with them. On top of their personable style, they delivered results, with our son returning to play far sooner than we anticipated. I highly recommend Joe, Pam, Eric, and the entire team.”
Andrew Loomis
"Can't say enough good things. I saw Luke Cancilla for a running hamstring injury and I went from feeling pain every time I walked to running several times a week totally pain free. Luke was so dedicated and is so knowledgeable - I'm so grateful for the time he spent figuring out my injury and how to get me even stronger than I was before I got hurt. The facility at Joe Norton is also great. I highly recommend!”
Kelly Kearney
"This is my first experience with a PT practice during my years of marathon training. And it’s hard to imagine another training cycle without it. The entire staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and for my purposes, understands runners deeply. Luke, one of the therapists, has become a trusted guide during my training cycle. Already discussing future races and how to best achieve my goals and take care of my body. Cannot recommend highly enough!"
Molly Dean
"I can't recommend this place enough. I've gone to Joe Norton PT and Luke for years for so many different issues: torn hip labrums, chronic knee pain, back & shoulder pain, concussions, and more - and each time, the incredible team is able to figure out exactly what's going on and help me get better. They are professional, kind, extremely knowledgeable, and take a real full-body approach, which helps enormously with resolving both acute pain or injuries and also building and maintaining a strong and healthy baseline to prevent future injuries. This place has healed me in so many ways, and more than I even thought was possible! Thank you so much! Highly recommended!"
Sophia Lajaunie
"I'm just back from running a strong Berlin Marathon after a stress injury forced me to defer last year and its because of Luke at Joe Norton PT! As a runner in a larger body I have not had a good experience with previous PT groups who weighed me at the start and end of treatment and told me I needed to lose weight. That is not the case at this practice. I was treated as an athlete from the first visit and weight was never mentioned. Luke treated my injury and worked with me to build strength so I could continue my desire to be a life long runner. If you are an athlete in DC go to this practice to get you back on track for your goals and have fun while working hard. I'm not sure whats next for my running but know Luke will help me reach my goals."
Emily Stock
"I love Kelly and this whole PT practice! I switched from Pivot PT and this place is 5,000x better. Kelly spends a full hour with me. My tennis elbow and severe neck & shoulder pain are so much better. I love that they don’t only show you exercises. She also does massage, gentle manipulation and dry needling. I highly recommend them."
Joya Banerjee
"Joe is the best! I run with a local club in the city and everyone knows Joe and trusts him to get them past any injury. He helped me in only two appointments with a nagging hip issue."
Josephine Mintel
"Best in the business! They’re my favorites for running-specific PT. Great group and great results. Would highly recommend!"
Ismael Torres Castrodad
"Joe is a consummate professional, knowledgeable, friendly, diligent, and thorough. Feel lucky to have worked with him!"
Eli Kintisch
"Initially, my only reservation about the practice was that they were out of network however by avoiding surgery I saved thousands in overall medical bills. I tried three other practices that were in network before committing to Joe Norton’s and none of them held a candle to the individualized quality of care and service. I just had a follow-up appointment with my doctor today who was incredibly impressed by how well I have quickly progressed since seeing Luke. Getting back to running was imperative for my quality of life and I could not have done it without Joe Norton’s practice I will forever be grateful for what they have done for me. If you are an injured runner I promise this is the place!"
Louise Weidner

FAQs

Here are answers to questions we frequently receive from patients. If you don't see your question addressed, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.

What conditions do you treat?

We are specialty trained in orthopedic physical therapy with a certifications in functional manual therapy and orthopedic manual therapy. In addition to our hands on skills, we are also certified in dry needling and many different exercise approaches like crossfit, kettlebells and FMS.

We are capable of treating head to toe, literally. Our previous work experiences have provided us with the opportunity to work with a variety of populations- runners, crossfitters, tennis players, active adults. All of these clients have dealt with injuries affecting their sport, lifestyle or mobility.

Where are you located?

We are at 3222 N St NW, suite 400 in Washington, DC.

Parking on the neighborhood streets may be metered or limited to 2 hours. Generally if you permit an extra 5 to 10 minutes, you will find a parking spot within 1 to 4 blocks of the practice. If you prefer there is a parking garage located at 3251 Prospect St NW.

What happens at an initial appointment/evaluation?

Our goal of an initial appointment is to examine any areas causing pain and decreased mobility. Through taking a thorough history and performing a clinical examination, we will identify a diagnosis.


Additionally, we will assess how your body moves through observing and testing functional movements such as running, walking, squatting deadlifting etc. This assists our ability to identify underlying issues such as, restrictions in motion, strength deficits or motor control limitations.


Finally, the session will conclude with a discussion of a treatment plan and demonstration of a home self care program.

If you have more than one area of pain affecting your mobility, for example knee and shoulder pain, then we may need more than an hour to appropriately assess each concern. In this event, we will try to cover as much ground as possible and pick up where we left off during a follow up session.

Who will I work with?

We will match you with one of our therapists based on your injury, your goals, and our availability. You will work one-on-one with a Physical Therapist for the entirety of your appointment. We never double book appointment times, or pass you off to a PTA

What should I wear? What should I bring?

Dress comfortably – shorts, t-shirt or sports bra, and your preferred running or training shoes. You don't need to bring anything else with you, but please complete our intake forms online before your first appointment as this will give your therapist valuable information about you as well as decrease time spent reviewing your history during your appointment.

Do I need a referral before I can be seen?

Washington, DC has direct access laws meaning you can schedule an appointment with a PT without physician referral.  We can schedule an evaluation appointment as soon as you're ready. However, our therapists are happy to collaborate with any other healthcare professionals you are working with to ensure the best care possible for you.

Do you take insurance?

In order to offer the highest value of care, we are an out of network provider, which means that we do not directly accept insurance. This allows us to provide hour long 1 to 1 treatments, where we can focus on giving you our full time, attention and expertise.

Can I submit a claim to my insurance for reimbursement?

We will gladly provide you with a receipt/invoice/superbill after each session, for you to pursue reimbursement from your health insurance carrier for our services.  Depending on your insurance policy you may receive reimburse for some if not all of your PT services, especially if you have a PPO plan.

How do I know if my insurance covers out of network physical therapy?

You can easily determine your out of network Physical Therapy benefits by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card. Ask the following questions:

  • What is your coverage for out-of-network physical therapy and what does it include?
  • Is pre-authorization is needed for physical therapy services.?
  • What information is required in order to be reimbursed (i.e. is there a special form that needs to be completed)?
  • Is a physical therapy prescription needed from your physician?
  • Are physical therapy office notes required?


Find out if there are any limits for coverage in terms of dollars per year, visits per year, or visits per condition.

Good Faith Estimate

Under the No Surprises Act, as of January 1st, 2022, all patients receiving healthcare are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate, outlining the expected cost of care. This Good Faith Estimate is intended to outline the cost you may incur while receiving care at Joe Norton Physical Therapy. We are happy to provide estimates upon request

How long will it take?

Physical Therapy evaluations range in time from 60 to 75 minutes depending on the nature and complexity of your case.
All follow up appointments take 60 minutes, but can be flexible to change per your availability.
Most of our patients are seen once or twice a week. The duration of your treatment is impacted by many factors, but more common issues are typically resolved in about 6 to 8 weeks.

Still have questions?

We're here to help you make informed decisions about your physical therapy care. Contact us today for personalized answers to your specific questions.