Athletic trainers are health care professionals highly trained in anatomy and physiology with multiple courses over the course of their education that go in depth into anatomy. Many programs out there include courses with cadaver anatomy to even further their knowledge of especially the extremities of the human body. Athletic trainers are not to be confused with personal trainers who work in gyms to improve a persons fitness level like it seems some of the individuals who have commented previously in this post have made the confusion. 

The scope of athletic training education has changed to include things like starting emergency IVs, lidocaine injections, and suturing which all also include puncturing of the skin. The combination of our depth of anatomical knowledge and the skill sets that include puncturing the skin, adding dry needling to our clinical skill sets will only benefit the populations that we work with.