I have recieved dry needling as part of physical therapy, by a licensced physical therapist with my physician's accedance, as part of recovery for two different conditions (acl/mcl surgery recovery and sesamoiditis).  As a Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology in a Medical School I was initially dubious, but the benefit in both instances was immediate and impressive.  I am personally convinced by recovery was shortened dramatically by dry needling.  During recovery from ACL surgery I had difficultly straightening the my leg while standing.  One PT worke with me for over a month using standard manual therapy and strengthening exercises to no avail.  Upon switching to a second PT who offered dry needeling we resolved the issue in a single session of needling.  I believe that dry needling is an increadibly powerful component that should be available with proper training to PTs.  I absolutely needs further study and refinement, but it is also clearly not accupuncture.  Dry needling was developed as an offshoot of controlled study to release muscle trigger points using lidocaine injections.  Through the course of this study it was discovered that both the placebo (dry needling) and injections were equally effective and so just the needles are now used.  Thus the origins of the practice are not based in eastern medicine, and neither is the theory. 

In summary dry needling is a appropriate and effective part of physical therapy, at least in my experience, and should be continued as such in Virginia.