What the physical therapy industry is now calling "dry needling" is the practice of orthopedic acupuncture. The term "dry needling" was coined by Dr. Janet Travell, MD in a book in which she used the term to differentiate two hypodermic needle techniques for trigger point therapy. The two techniques were the injection of a local anesthetic, and the use of a hypodermic needle without injecting any solution, hence the "dry" needle. In the practice of acupuncture, a solid filiform needle is used to stimulate not only specific points on defined sites on the body (acupuncture meridians), but also points that are categorized as "extra points" and "a shi points." The term "a shi" in Chinese medicine is synomous with "trigger point" in that they both refer to any tender area in a muscle that causes generalized musculoskeletal pain when overstimulated. Therefore, trigger points are indeed a part of the practice of acupuncture.

I am not opposed to having other practitioners, such as MDs, chiropractors and even physical therapists, practice orthopedic acupuncture with additional training and certification. I am however, highly opposed to the disingenuous way that the physical therapy industry is encouraging its licensees to practice acupuncture with literally no certification, regulation, or licensure standards across many states simply by calling it by another name. To regulate medical doctors, chiropractors, and acupuncturists for performing this procedure, but allowing no regulation for physical therapists for the very same procedure is simply discrimination. If physical therapists want to practice acupuncture, they should have to "play by the rules" just like the rest of us.