Dry Needling - Acupuncture or not?

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"Exactly which school of acupuncture are you from?" This is a good question to ask not only of your acupuncturist, but your doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, dentists, etc. Anyone that is assisting you with the care of your body should have attended an accredited school within their field. This doesn't mean that they have to have attended Harvard or some other Ivy League college to be good at what they do, but an accredited school is imperative!

There is an unfortunate phenomenon occurring in many US states right now called "dry needling." This is essentially using a thin, filiform needle without a hollow opening for liquids to be pushed through...this is an acupuncture needle. Dry needling is up for debate in several states right now to determine if it will be made legal for practitioners other than acupuncturists to use acupuncture needles to treat patients with pain. Doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors could be given the opportunity to take a 300-hour (or less) course to use "dry needles" and insert them into painful areas of patient's bodies to give them relief.

There are several issues that strike me in the above scenario. One of the issues is that just putting needles at the painful sites isn't acupuncture. Point location is very specific and putting needles in painful spots isn't always the best way to treat pain, sometimes inserting a needle at the site of pain can cause even more pain than before. An issue that arises from the first issue; if the practitioner had been properly trained, then they would know how to needle properly. This is where the biggest red flag waves: most people would never get surgery from an untrained physical therapist. So why would you get acupuncture from an untrained/under-trained practitioner? Acupuncture, if performed without the proper care and training, can cause minor problems such as bruising to major problems like collapsed lungs, which can be fatal. It is not acupuncture that is to blame for these problems, it is careless or untrained practitioners that cause damage.

Please seek a fully trained, Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) before getting an acupuncture treatment. Most US states require at least 3,000 hours of training to become licensed, 10+ times as much training as "dry needle" practitioners. You can use www.acufinder.com to search for a acupuncturist near you. Don't hesitate to ask where the practitioner was trained and licensed before making your first appointment.