Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Medicine
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Licensure of Athletic Trainers [18 VAC 85 ‑ 120]
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4/7/25  12:10 pm
Commenter: Justin Short

NO to athletic trainers using dry needling.
 

Why do we as a country and state require Licensed Acupuncturists to got through 3-4 years of graduate school followed by rigorous testing before we trust them to use needles in this manner, but let athletic trainers, with no graduate level training and only a few weekend course hours required for a ‘certification’ treat in virtually the same way? It defies logic. If you think this is ok for athletic trainers to do, then why not get rid of the high standards required for acupuncturists? Or, if you think these educational requirements for acupuncturists are justified, as I do, then it is inconsistent, and frankly dangerous, to let athletic trainers do functionally the same treatment with comparatively minuscule levels of training.

CommentID: 233547