I am writing in support of the proposed amendment to permit athletic trainers to use the modality of dry needling in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Athletic trainers are a recognized healthcare provider and require graduation from an accredited education program, a Master's degree, certification through the Board of Certification (BOC), and a license to practice athletic training from the Virginia Department of Health Professions, and are trusted to provide patient care across a variety of professional settings.

Accredited Athletic training education programs are already mandated to include instruction in invasive procedures like emergency IV insertion, lidocaine administration through injection, and closing wounds with staples or sutures. This training highlights the appropriate training athletic trainers undergo in modalities that break the skin. 

The Governor of Virginia also issued an emergency order allowing athletic trainers to administer vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the commonwealth’s confidence in the profession and training of athletic trainers in patient care that breaks the skin.

Dry needling is a Western medicine treatment modality focused on intramuscular and myofascial trigger point therapy. It should be viewed independently and distinctly from acupuncture, which is an Eastern medicine practice aimed at addressing meridians within the body and balancing energy flow.

With the appropriate training, athletic trainers are properly educated, well qualified, and professionally equipped to use dry needling as an appropriate treatment modality to address acute and chronic pain and motion dysfunction in their patient populations.

I encourage lawmakers to partner with the athletic training profession in advancing patient care by supporting this amendment.