for the safety of the public, Physical Therapists should not be allowed to do dry needling.  I have been a licensed acupuncturist in the states of Oregon and Washington for nearly 20 years.  To use acupuncture (filiform) needles, I was required to a get a Master's Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine that required a minimum of three years of schooling and pass a national board exam.  The education now is four years in length.  I have seen a few patients after being "dry needled" and they are in pain and bruised beyond anything I have ever experienced.  There are dozens of photographs online posted by PTs of their dry needling and it is horrific.  They have virtually no training to be doing this therapy.  There have been dozens of pneumothorax cases caused by PTs since they decided they could use acupuncture needles without license to do so.  In addition, they were originally supposed to be needling trigger points only but are actually performing full-on acupuncture claiming to help conditions like nausea, sinus infections, insomnia, etc.   This Traditional Chinese Medicine!!  The MDs that use acupuncture needles and the Licensed Acupuncturists are in agreeance on this issue; unless you sit for the national boards for acupuncture, you should not use acupuncture needles.