As a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Virginia, I  strongly oppose athletic trainers practicing dry needling. Dry needling is in fact a form of Acupuncture. All licensed acupuncturists have spent thousands of hours in school, earning masters degrees and doctorates and we take extreme pride in knowing we have mastered our skill. Acupuncture and dry needling are not skills that can be aquired with a weekend certification, nor are they skillsets to be taken lightly. This simply puts patients and individuals at risk for injury due to untrained professionals, and diminishes the skillset acupuncturists have earned.