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Acupuncture coalition urges board to resist expanding "dry needling" scope without additional training
Summary
A representative of the California Acupuncture Coalition urged the Physical Therapy Board to avoid allowing dry needling into physical-therapy scope without acupuncture-level training, citing training hours and shared points between modalities.
A public commenter urged the Physical Therapy Board of California not to expand physical therapists’ scope to include dry needling without training equivalent to licensed acupuncture programs.
Ryan McCarthy, speaking on behalf of the California Acupuncture Coalition, told the board that becoming a licensed acupuncturist in California requires a three-year master's degree, about 3,000 hours of acupuncture-specific training and roughly 950 hours of clinical experience. McCarthy said studies show most dry-needling trigger points overlap with acupuncture points and that, in his view, allowing dry needling without comparable education could risk patient safety. "Allowing people to practice needle medicine without proper training is dangerous for all involved," he said.
Why this matters: The scope of practice for professions that use needles is a recurring regulatory concern because invasive procedures carry risk and different professions have different training models. McCarthy requested the board engage with licensed acupuncturists when considering any scope or supervision changes.
Board response and context: The board did not take action on scope during the meeting; the comment was recorded during the public-comment period for items not on the agenda. Board members acknowledged the comment and did not make any policy changes during the session.
Ending: McCarthy provided the coalition as a contact for further information on acupuncture training and safety.
