Dry needling is one type of acupuncture. PTs doing acupuncture and calling it dry needling need to be held to the same standards of training as acupuncturists. Dry needling comes with risks and requires a high level of skill to be done correctly and safely. As an acupuncturist in Virginia I routinely see patients who have had dry needling. Many or most found it very painful and many found it ineffective or had lasting pain from their treatments. Despite the masked attempt at doing acupuncture and calling it dry needling patients believe them to be one in the same giving acupuncturists and acupuncture a bad name. PTs should not be allowed to do acupuncture or dry needling without significantly more training in technique and safety. It's not safe for patients.