I have taken 50+ hours of continuing education to perform Trigger Point Dru Needling as part of my treatment in an outpatient clinic. Not only did I receive extensive anatomical education as part of my Doctorate, including cadaver studies equal to medical students, but in my TPDN courses there was significant material regarding the safety precautions we must adhere to for this procedure. There is no evidence to suggest that injury occurs more frequently with TPDN than it does with acupuncture. Further, they are absolutely not the same thing. Needles are not "for acupuncture only". There have even  been needles designed specifically for the use of TpDB, because we are using the needles so differently. TPDN is firmly an evidenced based practice that I have had excellent results utilizing with my patients. To deny them access to this part of their treatment plan would only harm the patients, not protect them. It is never performed in isolation, but rather simply a part of an overall treatment plan including manual work, neuro re-ed, and therapeutic exercise. I find it repugnant that the acupuncture community is so focused on protecting their own interests that that would work to deny patients access to such a helpful intervention.