Pittsburgh–Steelers Star tj wattOne of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL and the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year suffers loss Lung partially destroyed during dry needling treatment on Wednesday At the team facility, questions were asked about the events that led to the incident and what would happen next.
TJ’s brother JJ Watt said a social media statement TJ had surgery on Thursday to repair and stabilize his lung, and he was released from the hospital on Friday.
“After a dry needling treatment session at TJ’s facility yesterday, successful surgery was performed to stabilize and repair a partially damaged lung on Wednesday,” JJ Watt wrote on social media. “Recovery timeline is still TBD, but everything went well and he is being released from the hospital today. He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes.”
31-year-old TJ Watt will miss Monday’s home prime-time match miami dolphins (8:15 ET, ESPN), Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Pittsburgh looks to strengthen its AFC North lead. Baltimore Ravens,
The Steelers have not provided further details about the incident. An initial statement released Thursday by Pittsburgh spokesman Burt Lauten said Watt went to the hospital for further evaluation of his lungs after experiencing “discomfort” at the practice facility on Wednesday. After Friday’s practice, Tomlin said Watt would have a medical procedure “today or tomorrow.” And when asked whether the incident that led to Watt’s hospitalization occurred during a dry needling session, as JJ Watt said, Tomlin continued to be vague.
Tomlin said, “I don’t have a lot of information, so I certainly wouldn’t dispute anything said by someone close to him.” “I did not discuss those lines.”
The NFL Players Association is aware of the situation and has been in contact with Watt and his representation. “Our main immediate priority is to support TJ’s health and full recovery,” the NFLPA said in a statement.
Dry needling is not unusual during an NFL player’s physical therapy, but such a significant event is unusual.
Was Watt injured before treatment? What is dry needling? Is Watt’s situation similar to that of then-Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor in 2020, when he suffered a collapsed lung? How will Pittsburgh’s defense improve as the team searches for a divisional title? Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor and ESPN senior writer and injury analyst Stefania Bell break down the biggest questions.
Did Watt suffer any chest or back injuries prior to dry needling?
Watt has not been listed on team practice or injury reports this season. Tomlin also said Thursday that, to his knowledge, Watt had not suffered any injuries that warranted being reported on the injury report or following the Steelers’ Week 14 game.
Watt was on the practice report because of a toe injury during the week before the game at Baltimore, and early in the season, he was listed on the practice report because of a hip problem before the Week 8 home game. green Bay PackersDry needling is not necessarily associated as a treatment for any specific injury, and can be used to reduce general muscle stiffness, including those around the shoulders and, in some cases, the pectoral muscles, –Pryor
What is dry needling? What is required to legally practice dry needling? How safe is it?
Dry needling is a skilled intervention where the provider uses a thin needle to penetrate the skin with the goal of reducing pain and improving movement. Unlike a “wet” needle, which uses a hollow bore needle (which has a central channel to allow fluid to pass through) to inject a drug, a dry needle uses a solid needle and no substance is injected.
Common applications of dry needling include, but are not limited to, muscle pain/strain (for example, hamstrings, quads), tendinitis/tendinopathy (for example, patellofemoral, biceps, rotator cuff), plantar fasciitis, and headaches. In particular, use has expanded over the past decade, and it is not unusual to see dry needling in most athletic rehabilitation settings or training rooms.
Requirements for who can legally perform dry needling vary by state. The range of practitioners who engage in dry needling may include physical therapists, athletic trainers, acupuncturists, chiropractors, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners.
Health care professionals typically undergo postgraduate education specific to dry needling procedures. Requirements as to required hours of training vary by state as there is no nationally recognized board that oversees dry needling certification. Programs are required to complete didactic and practical elements, and participants must pass written and practical examinations that include safety components.
Dr. Sue Falsone, President and Founder of Structure & Function Education, is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and certified strength and conditioning specialist with over 15 years of experience practicing and teaching dry needling. She has treated and consulted with many elite athletes, including NFL and MLB players, and says there are several safety studies that have been published showing very little risk from dry needling.
“Precautions and patient safety are always a part of any patient intervention,” Falsone said, “but as with any method, there is a potential for adverse reactions.”
Falsone said the four most common adverse reactions consistently documented in the scientific literature are relatively benign. These include bleeding (known as a drop or two of blood at the needle site), local bruising, pain or residual soreness at the needle site, and pain or soreness away from the site.
“Pneumothorax [punctured lung] “It has been reported in the literature as a very rare event,” Falsone said. — Bell
How many other steelers do dry needling?
It’s hard to say how many Steelers players seek out dry needling to treat tight muscles and pain during the season, but former linebacker James Harrison told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in 2015 that “three to five” other players in the locker room were also doing dry needling.
Harrison then said, “This is a more aggressive form of needling.” “It can be recovery-based and help heal any serious injury. … It’s painful as hell.”
Steelers inside linebacker patrick queen Friday said he prefers to use acupuncture instead of dry needling.
“Two different things,” said the Queen. “…I don’t do dry needle work at all. I’m really afraid of dry needle, so I stay away from that stuff.
“It’s unfortunate. You could probably go dry dipping a thousand times and nothing would ever happen, and it’s probably just half an inch in the wrong direction. So, you’ll never know.”
Queen said he has always been careful about who he allows to inject during treatment.
“Obviously, it’s needles, so you need them in the right place and stuff, and they can go in the wrong place at any time,” he said. –Pryor
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TJ Watt in the hospital for lung evaluation
Ryan Clark and Rich Eisen react to TJ Watt’s lungs being evaluated at the hospital after experiencing discomfort at the Steelers’ practice facility on Wednesday.
What should be the general prognosis for WAT? Will this have any long term effects?
The most important aspect of Watt’s case is that once he reported symptoms and was evaluated, he was sent to the hospital for emergency care and treated immediately by appropriate personnel. This gives him the best chance for a complete recovery.
Lung tissue is remarkably elastic, especially in a young, healthy athlete. A lung injury like WAT has the potential to heal within 7-10 days, and should have no long-term effects. — Bell
is it like that tyrod taylor Situation? What are the differences?
Taylor was reportedly dealing with two broken ribs and was given a pain-killing injection before the game, intended to reduce local pain and allow him to compete on game day. The needle punctured a lung, and the result was a pneumothorax (where air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing the lung to press on or “collapse”).
In Watt’s case, his brother J.J. According to , his lung partially collapsed (also pneumothorax) following a dry needling treatment session. By definition, dry needling means that no medication was being administered through the needle, making it different from Taylor’s typical procedure.
Although we do not have access to the specifics of any player’s medical records, it is worth noting that each player’s injury severity and recovery experience is unique, even in the presence of the same diagnosis. We know Taylor is going to return to football at the NFL level and hopefully Watt does the same. — Bell
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What does Watt’s absence mean for the Steelers’ defense in their quest to win the AFC North?
There is no definite timeline on Watt’s return, and it is a significant breakthrough for a team that has a slight lead over the Ravens for the AFC North and a coveted playoff spot with four games remaining.
The Steelers are 1–11 all-time, including the playoffs, when Watt does not play. Watt last missed a game in the 2023 playoffs, when he was sidelined with an MCL sprain for the wild-card loss. buffalo bill In January 2024.
Without Watt this time, the Steelers will rely on the rotation alex highsmith, Nick Herbig and newbie jack sawyerHighsmith, who has battled injuries throughout the season, sealed the win against the Ravens with a walk-off sack, lamar jackson,
“It’s a clear representation of who he is, the type of plays he makes, the type of hustle he makes, with the game on the line, he’ll make a play for us,” Herbig said of Highsmith. “Alex is like that. His whole career has been like that.”
Herbig is also another young player on the rise. The 2023 fourth-round pick recorded two sacks the last time he faced a left-handed quarterback in Cleveland’s Dillian Gabriel; Herbig had two tackles and four quarterback hits for loss. Herbig faces Miami’s left-handed QB tua tagovailoa On Monday.
“TJ has done a great job of being a leader not only in the room, but in the entire building, the organization,” Herbig said. “I think he rubs off on a lot of people in the right way, and I’m not worried at all because we have great guys, great leaders that will fill that void, and I think he’s ready for not only me, but a group of young guys in the sense that he’s going to be able to take on that big role, not only as a player but as a leader, and bring that energy and do everything he does.” –Pryor
