I strongly encourage you to oppose athletic trainers performing dry needling. The creation of the term ‘dry needling’ so that physical therapists and chiropractors could practice a watered down version of acupuncture with as little as 30 hours of training was bad enough, but this proposition is ludicrous and a danger to the public. The needles and techniques used in dry needling are the same that have been used in acupuncture for thousands of years, minus rigorous training and the foundation of traditional Chinese medical theory which allows for diagnosing and treating conditions other than just pain. It is a serious medicine. As an acupuncturist, I’ve complete 9 years of schooling, over 3000 hours of acupuncture specific training, ceritified in clean needling technique, passed 3 national boards to obtain national accreditation to be licensed by my state’s board of medicine. An athletic trainer surely will not posess the medical knowledge needed to safely and beneficially administer dry needling to the public. In my small practice alone of seen multiple injuries from dry needling my physical therapists including pneumothorax, premature labor and a puncture femoral artery. And physical therapists are highly educated with a vast understanding of the human body. But without adequate training with needles, these injuries can happen. We spend years in acupuncture school learning proper needling techniques and depth for safety. If passed, this would surely do more harm then good. Please leave needles to medical professionals. Thank you.