To the Virginia Board of Medicine, 

Thank you for taking the time to read our comments.

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Athletic trainers being allowed to performing dry needling in Virginia and I urge you to vote NO. 

The training is inadequate and is simply not safe for patients and the public to receive dry needling. There are a number of reports of people who have received dry needling for pain relief and it made their medical condition worse. 

Athletic trainers will not be undergoing any more training than physical therapists or acupuncturists, but most likely less. 

As a licensed acupuncturist in Washington DC, I went through 3.5 years of graduate school specifically for acupuncture with 2 years of clinical supervision, and passed 3 national board exams in order to perform acupuncture, as a medical specialty.

Dry needling is not a simple technique. 

I ask you to please vote no on this proposed bill. Thank you for your time and your service.