Subject: Support for Dry Needling Amendment in Virginia

To the Virginia Board of Medicine,

I am writing to express my support for the amendment to allow dry needling as a modality within the scope of practice for athletic trainers in Virginia. This change is crucial for advancing the care we provide to our patients and aligning our practice with the standards established in other states.

Education and Training: Athletic trainers are highly educated professionals, educated and trained in techniques that include dry needling. Many of us graduate from CAATE-accredited programs that provide extensive instruction in various invasive techniques, including IV therapy, suturing, and lidocaine injection for wound closure. A recent study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Science (Hortz et al., 2019) found that 89% of the tasks required for competent dry needling performance are already covered within entry-level athletic training education. This foundational training equips us to safely incorporate dry needling into our practice.

Current Practices in Other States: Numerous states have already implemented dry needling in athletic training, recognizing it as a valuable treatment tool. States such as Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Ohio, among others, have successfully integrated this modality, leading to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Addressing Concerns: While we acknowledge the concerns raised by acupuncturists, it is essential to clarify that dry needling and acupuncture, while sharing needles as a tool, serve different purposes and require distinct training. Athletic trainers utilize dry needling primarily for the rehabilitation and recovery of patients, grounded in our knowledge of anatomy and musculoskeletal function. The aforementioned study also highlights that athletic trainers are taught a large number of competencies for dry needling within their entry-level education, further supporting their readiness to learn and apply this skill competently.

In conclusion, I urge the Board of Medicine to support this amendment, which would allow athletic trainers in Virginia to practice dry needling. This would ultimately improve the quality of care we provide to our patients and further expand the scope of practice.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
Brian Hortz, PhD, AT, SFDN

Hortz, Brian V, Sue Falsone, and Duncan Tulimieri. “Current Athletic Training Educational Preparation for Dry Needling.” Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Science 4, no. 3 (2019): 12.