Good morning -- The practice of dry needling is not in the interest of physical therapy patients.  Physical thearpists have inadequate training to ensure that patients will not be harmed during the practice of inserting needles.  In fact, numerous injuries, including lung puncture and nerve damage, have already been documented.  The draft regulations in Virginia for dry needling actually provide no minimum training standard at all for the practice, as opposed to regulations for licensed acupuncturists and MDs.  That is no way to ensure safety.

As a licensed acupuncturist myself, I am concerned for the future of my profession if dry needling (essentially just another name for acupuncture) is allowed to be performed by under-trained physical therapists and causes injury.  How does that benefit anyone in the long run?  Patients will be harmed, and the reputation of acupuncture will be damaged, scaring patients away from this otherwise safe and beneficial type of medicine.  I urge you to retain restrictions against physical therapists performing dry needling.