Dry Needling: Position Statements and National News

Resource: Laws Banning Dry Needling

February 24, 2016 “California Court Issues Temporary Injunction Stopping Companies from ‘Dry Needling’ in California and Enjoining Sales of ‘Myotech Dry Needles’” All companies and individuals whom are using, teaching, purchasing or selling acupuncture needles (including Myotech needles) without licenses as physicians or acupuncturists are no longer allowed to do so within the state of California. The injunction is aimed primarily at individuals and companies involved in the ‘dry needling’ business.

October 16, 2014 “Washington Court Injunction Bans Physical Therapists from Practicing Acupuncture ‘Dry Needling’” A Washington Court found the practice of ‘dry needling’ to be acupuncture, thus prohibiting physical therapists from performing acupuncture ‘dry needling.’

June 19, 2014 “Tennessee Attorney General Opinion” The Attorney General of Tennessee found that “dry needling’s obvious similarity to acupuncture cannot be ignored, and physical therapists may not perform acupuncture, which is a branch of medicine.”

January 23 2014 “Oregon Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine V Board of Chiropractic Examiners RULING” An Oregon Court of Appeals finds that the law allowing chiropractors to practice “dry needling” on the grounds that it is a form of “physiotherapy” is unfounded, and the law is overturned so that chiropractors can no longer practice dry needling (Acupuncture). The summarized ruling can be found on the last 2 pages of the linked document.

Resource: Position Statements

ASA (American Society of Acupuncturists) Position on Dry Needling

CCAOM (Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) Position Paper May 2011

WFCMS (World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies) Position Statement February 2016

AAMA (American Academy of Medical Acupuncture) Position Statement 

AAPMR (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) Position Statement June 2012

AAAOM (American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) Position Statement on Trigger Point Dry Needling (TPDN) and Intramuscular Manual Therapy (IMT) March 2013