I wasn’t overly concerned about other health care providers performing what they’ve termed “dry needling” until a few new clients came to the office with stories of having tried “dry needling” – and had unpleasant experiences. Newly concerned, I started fact checking. First, I looked up the term “dry needling” as defined by a course description found on the web: Dry Needling is a general term for a therapeutic treatment procedure that involves multiple advances of a filament needle into the muscle in the area of the body which produces pain and typically contains a ‘Trigger Point’. This definition describes areas that have been referred to for thousands of years in China, the term historically used is “ashi”. Ashi points, the western term being “trigger points” have long been combined with the use of acupuncture points when appropriate. This purpose of this article to provide absolute clarity that acupuncturists practice Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and have extensive education and supervision regarding the use of acupuncture needles, and this should not be confused with the term “dry needling”. I’d like to begin with a policy adopted by the American Medical Association, copied directly from their site:
Regulating Dry Needling
The AMA adopted a policy that said physical therapists and other non-physicians practicing dry needling should – at a minimum – have standards that are similar to the ones for training, certification and continuing education that exist for acupuncture. “Lax regulation and nonexistent standards surround this invasive practice. For patients’ safety, practitioners should meet standards required for licensed acupuncturists and physicians,” AMA Board Member Russell W. H. Kridel, M.D. https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-adopts-new-policies-final-day-annual-meeting
I then looked up the education requirements to become a licensed acupuncturist. The minimum length of time for an acupuncture program is 1,490 hours, 660 of those hours must be supervised clinical hours. The graduate program I attended at Southwest Acupuncture College from 1998 though 2001 was 2,600 hours, including 6 semesters supervised in the student clinic (the first year of clinic students may only observe) and numerous supervised practical and technique classroom hours. It is also required that students pass the Clean Needle Technique course prior to handling and inserting an acupuncture needle into a person. This class includes all aspects of safe needle use as determined by OSHA laws and regulations (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). OSHA employees randomly visit the student clinic.
Also worth noting is that we had three nurse practitioners and one physician in my class. They had the same clinical hour requirements for needle insertion. While I understand that students of “dry needling” are not studying Chinese medicine, the clinical hours provided to train health care practitioners to insert needles for the purpose of “dry needling” do not compare to any other requirements for health care providers that use needles, such as those for acupuncture, injection therapies, phlebotomy and dentistry. The introductory class for “dry needling” is 27 hours, including lecture material. I then visited several more websites to be absolutely certain that I’d correctly read course descriptions. After taking one 27 hour introductory “Dry Needling” class, health care providers are allowed to insert needles up to 5 inches into a person’s body, “the course allows participants immediate integration of dry needling into clinical practice” – quote from course offered in Denver, CO. Patients of “dry needling” have reported both major and minor injuries. Hospitalizations include pneumothorax and spinal cord injuries. The following site shows a map of the U.S. where “dry needling” resulted in hospitalization: https://www.acupuncturesafety.org/
Please choose wisely and safely when seeking all health care modalities. If you are seeking treatment, ask your potential practitioner about their education, experience and inquire about their regulations. Check your own level of comfort and be sure that all of your questions have been answered.
To find a nationally board certified acupuncturist, visit the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at http://www.nccaom.org/find-a-practitioner-directory/
To find a nationally board certified acupuncturist in Colorado, visit the Acupuncture Association of Colorado at https://acucol.com/page-7746