I am a Virginian by ancestry.  My mother's family goes back to the early days, when Virginia was a colony under the British, and they fought and spied for George Washington in the Revolutionary War.  I love Virginia.

Acupuncturists have 3000 to 4000 hours of professional training in the theory, techniques and safety of needling.  Needling is NOT part of physical therapy, and never will be.  Their skill is in manipulating the body through exercise and stretching to correct problems with the musculature, fascia, tendons and ligaments.

Acupuncturists have been needling for over 2000 years.  It is under OUR scope of practice, it IS our scope of practice.  Physical therapists should not be allowed to needle in any way shape or form.  That is a ridiculous idea.  They would be practicing acupuncture without a license, which is a crime.

Please see the recent decision in the State of New Jersey, just this past month, on this very issue.  The state has laid out clearly why it is NOT giving physical therapists the right to needle under their license.  Here's the weblink to the decision:  https://www.taoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Dry-Needling-opinion-NJ-AG-2.9.17.pdf

Thank you for protecting the people of Virginia from the unlicensed practice of acupuncture.