Acupuncture requires a minimum of 3 years of training and a master's degree to be licensed. Training for PTs and DCs in their profession is about the equivalent amount of time. It is a safety issue for the public to allow athletic trainers to use dry needling. It is easy to, for example, cause a pneumothorax if the person is not adequately trained. In addition, there are effects of acupuncture points that go well beyond the specific area being needled.