To Whom it May Concern:

I have been in care by Licensed Acupuncturists and Doctors of Oriental Medicine for over 10 years and though I am no expert, I am a fairly educated patient and I am shocked to see a proposal that would allow Physical Therapists to perform acupuncture simply by re-naming it "dry needling", without adequate levels of required training.

It doesn't take an expert to understand that inserting needles into the human body can be extremely dangerous if done incorrectly. The study necessary to understand the technique and the human body as it relates to acupuncture and the training to be able to safely perform this can't possibly be completed in a couple of weekend seminars.

I for one, wouldn't ever consider letting a Physical Therapist insert needles into my body, simply because I understand that a PT's training is focused on very different ways of healing the human body. Don't get me wrong, I have seen many PTs over the years and I value what they do in its core. I am also very much in support of PTs expanding their arsenal of procedures where it makes sense, such as the Graston Technique or Active Release Therapy. Dry Needling however, is not a natural extension of what PTs do and should be left to the practicioners who study this subject wholistically and in-depth and receive a necessary minimum amount of training as required by law.

The risk to the individual patient is undeniable -- all it takes is one punctured lung to prove that dry needling was a really, really bad idea.  But also consider the wider impact of allowing this technique to be performed by not sufficiently trained physical therapists.  We all know that western medicine has its limits and in recent years we have seen a decline in the effectiveness of ever-more medication.  

Oriental medicine can do much to correct the health crisis we are facing, but unfortunately is still not taken seriously enough in many areas.  Acupuncture however, has been one part of eastern medicine that is widely accepted so that even many insurance companies pay for this treatment. To take this healing technique and putting it in the hands of untrained therapists will inevitably result in acupuncture losing its credibility, because patients may be harmed or at the least because results will simply not be the same.

Now, more than ever, we need acupuncture to help patients in Virginia and to do so and it can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists who have received the required training to safely insert needles into the human body.

Please protect the patients and the reputation of this ancient healing technique. Do not allow it to be performed by minimally trained physical therapists, wether you call it "dry needling" or anything else.

Thank you!
Hans Luther