Action | Practice of dry needling |
Stage | NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 12/30/2015 |
The dry needling rules are illegal because they would allow physical therapists to engage in acts that are outside the legal scope of practice for physical therapy in Virginia.
Dry needling constitutes the practice of acupuncture under Virginia law. There is no basis for allowing physical therapists to practice acupuncture with only a small percentage (~54 hours) of the training required for acupuncturists (3000+ hours) and even medical doctors.