Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Medicine
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Licensure of Athletic Trainers [18 VAC 85 ‑ 120]
Previous Comment     Next Comment     Back to List of Comments
4/29/25  6:16 pm
Commenter: Dr. Sonya Patel

Why allow untrained, unlicensed people to use acupuncture needles?
 

It is disturbing to see the rise in fitness trainers and physical therapists use "dry needling" for their own pocket growth. As a hospital care provider, I saw patients with organ puncture, fascia tears, and tissue damage because a physical therapist was aggressive with dry needling. It is sad that patients put trust in these providers and then there is this type of damage, only acupuncturists (who have thousands of hours of training) actually know what they are doing. They are licensed and not aggressive, with needling technique knowledge and OSHA training. Stop allowing unqualified professions stick needles in people and tell them to stay in their lane. They should be able to address their patient's ailments with what they were taught in physical therapy school, not what took licensed acupuncturists years to perfect. 

CommentID: 233977