For Policy Makers of Virgina.
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What is ASVA's stance on Dry Needling?Dry Needling is a type of Acupuncture. However, not all Acupuncture is dry needling. To perform dry needling, filiform, FDA approved "Acupuncture needles" are used to penetrate the skin into areas of tight muscles or adhesions. Dry Needling is a technique used in Sports/Orthopedic Acupuncture and used by Licensed Acupuncturists, Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, and Physical Therapists. With appropriate training and practice, dry needling is very effective for pain management. The term, Dry Needling, was developed in the 1970's by Physical Therapists to differentiate the modality from "wet needling" where hypodermic needles were used with solution into trigger points. Virginia has inadequate training laws and regulations to practice Dry Needling safelyLicensed Acupuncturists have a minimum requirement of 1,750 hours of clinical training for using Acupuncture needles, and Medical Doctors are required to have a minimum of 200 hours of additional training to use Acupuncture needles. In Virginia, Physical Therapists, and proposed Athletic Trainers, are allowed to use Acupuncture needles, called Dry Needling, with minimal training equivalent to a weekend certification course (30-50 hours). These trainings often fail to include adequate safety and supervision. This means, once a PT is trained in dry needling, their patients are used to "figure it out" without supervision. As written, physical therapists are allowed to practice dry needling without supervision of a Medical Doctor, Doctor of Osteopathy, Chiropractor, Podiatrist and Dentist. In 2026, HB841 (Downey), sought to add dry needling to athletic trainers' scope of practice under the supervision of a Medical Doctor, Osteopath, Chiropractor, Podiatrist and Dentist. However, it does not state that the supervisors need to have Dry Needling or Acupuncture training for supervision. These inadequate laws and regulations without equivalent education and supervisor mandates increase the likelihood of medical malpractice and pose a risk to patients who do not know the difference, leading to issues of informed consent under Virginia Consumer Protection Act guidelines. Allowing physical therapists and athletic trainers to perform dry needling without mandated educational requirements equal to Medical Doctors in Virginia, or without the supervision of a highly trained Acupuncture needle specialist (Acupuncturist or Medical Acupuncturist), prioritizes convenience over the "first do no harm" principle and ethics. The Human Cost: Life threatening injuries - The Case of Dry Needling and TJ Watt, NFL outside linebackerThe dangers of "minor" invasive errors are not theoretical. In December 2025, NFL Pittsburg Steeler's outside linebacker, TJ Watt, suffered a partially collapsed lung (pneumothorax) during a dry needling session at a professional team facility. Read article here. The needle penetrated too deeply necessitating emergency medical care to stabilize his lung. If this can happen to an elite athletes, the risk to the general Virginia public, treated in less controlled environments, is far higher. |