Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Physical Therapy
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Practice of Physical Therapy [18 VAC 112 ‑ 20]
Action Practice of dry needling
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ended on 2/24/2017
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2/24/17  4:39 pm
Commenter: Sherry Miller, The Center for Natural Medicine

STRONGLY OPPOSED TO PHYSICAL THERAPY DRY NEEDLING
 

I am a Certified Medical Assistant for a Naturopathic doctor who is also a licensed Acupuncturist.  I am strongly opposed to physical therapist practicing dry needing.

  • Dry needling is outside the scope of practice for physical therapy.
  • Dry needling is not safe and places the patient at high risk for injury.  I have recently read where a physical therapist participated in dry needling a patient who ended up with a pneumothorax. 
  • The only people who should be doing any dry needling such be a licensed acupuncturist.  Acupuncturists go through literally several thousand hours of extensive training in acupuncture specific training, didactic material and supervised clinic training.  
CommentID: 58115