I have been a licensed physical therapist practicing full time since 1984.  My extensive professional training in anatomy and physiology, as well as clinical experience, has enabled me to successfully treat a wide variety of diagnoses and client populations.  These include individuals presenting with problems stemming from and impacting the muscular, neurological, skeletal, fascial, integumentary, cardiovascular, and internal organ systems and functions.  My skills, much like most physical therapists, do not depend on imaging or laboratory tests, but instead stem from obtaining a thorough medical history, performing a comprehensive examination emphasizing movement in all body segments, palpation to identify faulty tissues, and synthesis of these findings to determine an appropriate plan of care. 

In 32 years of practice I have also pursued hundreds of hours of advanced study and training pertinent to more successfully managing clients in an outpatient setting.  This has included joint manipulation, exercise, fascial manipulation, Myofascial trigger point therapy, and dry needling. Obtaining certification to perform dry needling in 2009 has enabled me to offer one additional and very effective modality for resolving pain, restoring mobility, and optimizing function.  Physical therapists are well positioned to successfully use this modality by virtue of professional training. This has been confirmed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, as well as published research determining a 0.04% incidence of adverse effects associated with physical therapists performing dry needling.  This is lower than the adverse effects associated with taking ibuprofen. 

Not being formerly trained in acupuncture precludes me from definitively comparing the two interventions.  But having received both as a patient, I can attest to how very different these two interventions are in terms of rationale determining sites to be treated, depth of needle penetration, scientific basis, and treatment goals.  Additionally, being employed by a continuing education provider that teaches dry needling to multiple health care disciplines including acupuncturists affords me an interesting perspective.  One comment I very often hear from the acupuncturists participating in these courses is how different dry needling is from acupuncture. 

In light of these points I would ask that the proposed regulations concerning dry needling be enacted.  Thank you.