I am currently a patient at a physical therapy clinic and I have had the opportunity to receive dry needling treatments from my therapist.  It has helped me tremendously and I beleive that all physical therapist trained in that modality should be able to continue to offer it as part of their treatments in the state of Virginia. 

I work as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor and had back surgery to repair a herniated disc.  I continue to have reoccurring pain and numbness along with back pain.  The dry needling has been a life saver for me and has enabled me to continue to work in the fitness industry.  I have had other sorts of treatments to help to ease my pain and discomfort, but none are as effective as dry needling..

I beleive that physical therapists should be allowed to cintinue to offer this service to their clients because they posess the anatomical, physiological and clinical knowledge to perform trigger point dry needling safely and effectivly for their patients.  They are educated and trained by healthcare professionals and held to the highest of standards. 

Dry needling is VERY different than acupuncture.  I have had the opportunity to recieve both types of treatments and I have to say that the dry needling gave me a tremendous amount of relief.  The acupuncture was a toally different type of treatment and it was not as effective in treating my issues.  The regulations proposed by the Virginia Board of Physical Therapy are sufficient to ensure public safety and should be fully enacted. 

I have never experienced any negative side effects from the treatment and I hope to be able to have access to dry needling into the future so I can continue to work in my profession.  Thank you for your time.