I am a physician with a MD and PhD in New York State and am board certified by both the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Medical Board of Acupuncture of New York State. I have been practicing medical acupuncture full time for over 12 years.
 Dry needling as the injection involves penetrating multiple layers of body tissues, such as skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles and tissues surrounding the muscles, just as acupuncture in its traditional form . In  other word,  The practice of dry needling is equivalent or is in its nature and its risk to acupuncture, then,  is definitely an invasive procedure. Therefore. It must require high quality of proper medical training.  In China, five years in Chinese Medical school and one year clinical practice under supervision is necessary to be a acupuncturist to perform acupuncture or dry needling procedure. In USA, in addition to training of five years in a Medical school and at least three year clinical practice under supervision, and at least 300 proper trading of just acupuncture, or 4000 hours of proper training for non-physician in a Acupuncture school is necessary to be a acupuncturist to perform acupuncture or dry needling procedure! The medical procedure has to be safe first!  
A physical therapists’ training does not involve the safe practice of needles that penetrate body tissues, some times in particular, deep penetration of multiple layers of body tissues. Only poor training of 60 hours compared with at least five years' proper training, to allow physical therapists to practice dry needling definitely poses an undue high risk to the public.

Furthermore, the instrument of so called dry needling is the same, an acupuncture needle, therefore, dry needing is a twisted or a stealing concept of acupuncture. As a result, the poor practice of dry needling by poor and no proper trained physical therapists will severely damage the reputation of the profession of Acupuncturist!  

I have no problem with physical therapists utilizing acupuncture or dry needling in their practice; it is a great medicine and excellent medical procedure!  For the safety of the public, however, the physical therapists should attend medical school and complete a 3 year resident training, followed by a 300 hour course specifically to acupuncture, or they should attend and graduate from an accredited acupuncture school and become certified or licensed acupuncturist in order to safely practice acupuncture or dry needling.

Yali Li, MD, PhD