Dry Needling is not safe. Dry needling involves the insertion of FDA-regulated acupuncture needles as deep as 5” into patients by physical therapists that can have as little as a weekend of training and no prior experience in the safe use of needles. The draft regulations in fact provide NO MINIMUM TRAINING STANDARD WHATSOEVER. There have been a number of serious dry needling injuries across the country ranging from lung punctures to nerve damage. Not surprisingly, the American Medical Association recently explained in adopting a policy critical of dry needling, “Lax regulation and nonexistent standards surround this invasive practice … For patients’ safety, practitioners should meet standards required for acupuncturists and physicians.” The largest company insuring physical therapists recently called dry needling “an emerging area of risk” and documented numerous dry needling injuries.