Athletic trainers who have received additional dry needling training SHOULD BE ALLOWED to utilize dry needling as a modality to provide optimal care to their patients.

Current, athletic training student must complete a minimum of 5 to 6 years of didactic education. Three or four of those years are spent completing prerequisite courses to be eligible to enter an athletic training master’s degree program. The last two years of the 5-6 include rigorous hands-on patient care under the supervision of a certified/licensed athletic trainer and/or other healthcare provider.  Athletic training students are already being taught how to perform invasive procedures such as IV administration and suturing techniques due to the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Standards.  Certified\ licensed athletic trainers are required to earn 50 continuing education units every two years once they pass the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers Exam.  Some certified\licensed athletic trainers have chosen to pursue dry needling continuing education that leads to an additional certification in addition to the formal education requirements to be an athletic trainer. Virginia’s state practice act already allows athletic trainers to perform invasive procedures such as wound closure and administering COVID 19 vaccines. Athletic trainers that receive additional dry needling certification are educated enough to administer dry needling to patients with musculoskeletal pathologies.

Every state surrounding Virginia (Maryland, West Virginia, & North Carolina) already allows athletic trainers to perform dry needling as part of their state practice act.  It is time for Virginia to align with our adjacent states. Let athletic trainers perform dry needling.