Stating that the practice of “dry needling,” or acupuncture, does not fall within the definition of the practice of physical therapy, Arizona’s licensed acupuncturists are concerned about public safety as a growing number of therapists are offering dry needling with limited training, disguised as the complex ancient Chinese treatment of acupuncture.
Thus, licensed acupuncturists, such as Ahna Bridenbaugh, LAc., of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine in Sedona, are encouraging the public to attend a meeting at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18, at Northern Arizona University’s Health Professions Building as the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy seeks information and comments on the use of dry needling by physical therapists.
“The practice of dry needling is more than merely placing needles at various points for different health benefits. Physical and occupational therapists are claiming it is not the same as acupuncture, but according to Arizona state law and national acupuncture organizations, it is,” said Bridenbaugh. “The patient may not know whether he is being treated by someone with 16-hours of continuing education in dry needling or a licensed acupuncturist with years of training. As a result, there can be significant pain or injury caused by a therapist who lacks appropriate training. For this reason, the years of education and training that have been specified by the state of Arizona are critical to protect the public from unsafe practices and to obtain an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.”
Arizona requires entry-level acupuncturists to receive a four-year master’s degree education, 3,000 hours of training, in acupuncture from an accredited college and then must pass the national board exams before earning a license and inserting an acupuncture needle into a patient. Acupuncturists say some hospitals and physical therapists are illegally practicing dry needling after short continuing education workshops; fraudulently billing insurance companies for “acupuncture;” and are not covered by malpractice insurance for this treatment.
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), the only nationally accredited certification organization that assures entry-level competency of individuals entering the profession of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, has been fighting this trend since 2009 and has been successful in banning dry needling by untrained physical therapists in many states including California, Hawaii, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia.
“This is a state-by-state health crisis and now Arizona is fighting to preserve the highest level of educational excellence for the safety and protection of the public,” said Bridenbaugh.
Acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural healing abilities to treat a number of ailments and diseases including chronic pain, inflammation, muscle spasms and allergies. Dry needling is the use of hair-thin stainless steel acupuncture pins, called filiform needles, without the use of medication on the tips.
“We highly recommend that physical therapists meet the same standard for education and examination that licensed acupuncturists must meet in order to practice safely and effectively…” stated Dr. Kory Ward-Cook, CEO of the NCCAOM Board of Commissioners, in a letter to the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure Board of Registration in Allied Health Professionals. “The level of competence accomplished by those completing the didactic, clinical, and practice hours attained by certified and licensed practitioners cannot be matched by those who would be practicing this form of acupuncture with hardly any training or assessment in this field.”
The Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy will be accepting comments and questions at the April 18 meeting in Flagstaff. Additional comments will be accepted through Friday, May 3, and also may be submitted by email to brandy@goodmanschwartz.com. Those planning to attend Thursday’s meeting are encouraged to RSVP to brandy@goodmanschwartz.com. For more meeting information and directions, please see attached document.