Dry needling is an effort to rename acupuncture to allow PTs to practice outside of their scope. Establishing something called "dry needling" is a clever way to avoid attending an accredited 4 year doctoral program that provides proper training in acupuncture, which is what dry needling is. Regardless of the discussions about Qi, which is a distraction from the fact that PTs are trying to use skills that they are outside of their scope yet they are aware are very effective. The answer to this is to refer out just like all specialties. Dry needling proposes to be something else, which is an incredible absurdity and a huge insult to the entire profession of Traditional Chinese Medicine which includes orthopedic needling techniques, which dry needling supporters propose is not acupuncture. Furthermore, something called "dry needling" is not needed by the public, doctors of acupuncture and licensed providers are already filling this need. The correct course of action is to refer patients out to a specialist, not to attempt to be a jack of all trades. 

This backdoor attempt to hijack acupuncture under a different name would allow PTs to simply add another CPT code to their list of billable codes and puts the public at risk. Increased incidences of pneumothorax already demonstrates the dangers of these practices. This practice is not only dangerous, so-called "dry needling" is acupuncture regardless of what these proposals suggest. This is a clever attempt to expand the scope of PTs in a completely manipulative and unconscionable fashion. 

Do not let PTs take acupuncture and rename it so they can simply bill more codes. It is unethical and should be stopped.

Dr. Gretchen E. Seitz, DAOM, LAc