I am in strong support of allowing Athletic Trainers to perform dry needling.

The current scope of Athletic Trainers in Virginia allows us to suture, perform lidocaine injections, and administer IV’s in emergency situations indicating we are qualified in breaking skin in a safe, effective manner.

Our extensive education equips us with the majority of the foundational knowledge needed to perform this modality including but not limited to anatomy as well as the assessment and treatment of orthopedic injuries. The “weekend course” many have referred to builds on this knowledge while providing the practical skills necessary to administer. The training also begins in regions of the body where risk of adverse events are minimum. Additional training is needed for advanced body regions which requires more hours of education and practical application. The athletic trainer is only able to practice at the level of their training and under the direction of Team Physician. Therefore, athletics trainers are well within their knowledge and competency to perform this modality.

Of note, many other states have already passed laws supporting athletic trainers to practice dry needling, with the most recent being Tennessee. Therefore, I strongly urge the Virginia Board of Medicine to support this amendment and follow the precedence already set in several states.

Thank you for your consideration,

Laura Mancuso, MBA, LAT, ATC