Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture)

Registered acupuncturist · BHSc (Acu) · Brisbane. Treating pain, injuries and athletes. Posting new research, habits and what actually helps pain.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Start here 👋

I'm Trent Dolman, an AHPRA-registered acupuncturist (since 2019) in Brisbane. I work with sports and orthopaedic injuries and acute and persistent pain, using acupuncture, remedial massage and movement-based rehab.

What this account covers 🧵

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Halfway through a busy clinic day I still catch myself holding my breath between patients.

One habit that helps: exhale fully before the next consult. Sounds trivial. It isn't.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Practical takeaway: protect, don't panic. Keep gentle movement if you can.

Cochrane review: stay-active advice beat bed rest for acute low back pain (small gains). Sciatica: little difference either way.

General info, not personal advice.
https://t.co/Ziy9IUqNWv

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Pain scientist Lorimer Moseley put it plainly in 2007: pain does not measure the state of the tissues. It is shaped by many factors (body, stress, sleep, beliefs), and the link to tissue state gets weaker the longer pain persists.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

That doesn't mean the pain isn't real, or that you should ignore red flags (fever, unexplained weight loss, blunt trauma, progressive weakness, bowel/bladder changes). Get those checked.

For everyday back flares, pain often outruns the tissue story.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Myth: "If it hurts, something must be damaged."

Evidence: pain is a protective signal. It does not give a reliable readout of tissue damage — especially once pain has stuck around. 🧵

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Compression doesn't fix EDS or POTS. But at work, my medical-grade tights stop the blood pooling in my legs while I stand. And feeling held together brings a comfort I can't really explain.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

May help manage disability alongside usual care. Not a replacement for staying active.

Paper: https://t.co/LvEyZKjI3A
General info, not personal advice.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

New study 🧵

Does acupuncture help older adults with chronic low back pain?

A 2025 US trial (BackInAction, JAMA Network Open) randomised 800 people aged 65+.

What it found, what it didn't. #AcuEvidenceWeekly

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Share with ≥30% better disability at 6 months: usual care 29.4%, standard acupuncture 39.1%, plus maintenance 43.8%.

Caveats: no sham, self-reported outcomes, US adults 65+ only. Effect is modest.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@ThePOTSPostman Keep on sharing! Sometimes we need to hear this one for ourselves too.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Pain flare tip: aim for less, not none.

Cut the load, shorten the session, slow the pace. Complete rest often makes the next day harder.

Move gently, stop if pain spikes sharply or spreads. That's pacing, not giving up.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

If you need someone right now, Lifeline is there 24/7 on 13 11 14.

Hi, I'm Trent, and it's Tuesday, which means it's time to check in.
So, how are you going? Are you okay?
If you're not okay, there's someone in your circle who wants to hear from you. Please reach out to them.
If you need more than that, message me and I'll connect you with someone in my professional network who can help.
And if someone in your life has gone a bit quiet, check on them today.
It's okay not to be okay.

Something to make you smile today:
https://t.co/J3eW5d94jr
#CheckInTuesday

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

Airport lounge, 7am. Queue for coffee (guilty), and nearly every plate is piled high.

Are we eating because we're hungry?
Because it's part of the pre-flight routine?
Or because the food's free and we've talked ourselves into the value of a toasted sandwich?

Worth a pause before the plate.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@AusOpenGolf Great to hear him talk up the Sandbelt. As a fairly new golfer, I watch those courses and wonder how anyone gets out of the bunkers. Keen to see how he goes this year.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@HumorChronic My POTS mornings exactly. I sit on the edge of the bed for a minute first now, and some days it's still a no.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@BStulberg The antidote might be pretty unglamorous: walks without the phone, dinner with the kids, letting yourself be bored now and then. The small human stuff is easy to lose without noticing.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@tomgoom Point 2 is a good one to share with patients. Being told your glutes are 'switched off' can sound scary, and it may help people to hear their body isn't broken. Strength work still has its place, just for building capacity rather than changing how someone runs.

[Dr. Trent Dolman (Acupuncture) @TrentMatthewD]

@ThePOTSPostman As someone who treats patients and lives with EDS and POTS myself, I'd much rather someone walked in having done the homework. It makes for a better conversation and a plan that actually suits their life.