Action | Practice of dry needling |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 12/30/2015 |
![]() |
Acupuncture and Trigger Point Dry Needling use different theories and different methods of application therefore PT's are not infringing on the acupuncturists' scope of practice. The anatomy knowledge that PT's receive in PT school is more than sufficient to learn proper needle placement for direct application. An ongoing argument I see to oppose dry needling by PT's is that it is unsafe. I ask where is the evidence to support this and where are there documented cases of injury or death? They simply DO NOT exist, this is all hypothetical and quite frankly a weak argument. The only evidence I have seen regarding PT's performing dry needling is its effectiveness in clinical practice and I have seen it performed by some of the best in the field. Not to mention there is a massive lack of evidence to support that acupuncture is even effective because how can you possibly measure a person's chi level?! You simply cannot and that is why people are becoming more and more skeptical. Trigger Point Dry Needling is a tool in the tool box that makes physical therapists better practitioners for the patients that it is applicable for.