Vote NO on Georgia HB809!

On behalf of the GA-Licensed Acupuncturist community, I am adding my signature below to show my support in rejecting a proposal that is being put forth by the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy on the grounds that it presents a public safety risk. The practice of dry needling acupuncture by occupational therapists is a public health and safety issue and the proposed bill requiring 26 hours of training is insufficient for the safe practice of this technique.

View HB 809: Occupational therapists; perform dry needling as a physical agent modality if certain training and education requirements are met.  https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/65536

The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association(AMA), the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation(AAPMR) and our own Georgia Composite Medical Board(GCMB) have recognized that dry needling is a subtype of acupuncture and is indistinguishable from acupuncture.

The AMA and AAPMR have further stated that it should only be performed by practitioners with standard training and familiarity with routine use of needles in their practice, such as licensed acupuncturists or licensed medical physicians.

Yet, the proposed standards and training are vastly different for occupational therapists than that of acupuncturists when it comes to the practice of acupuncture and dry needling. Some states have even banned occupational and physical therapists from practicing dry needling due to public safety concerns.

Acupuncturists obtain a Masters degree which includes at least 1365 hours of acupuncture-specific training, including 660 hours of supervised clinical training. In most states, including Georgia, acupuncturists are required to pass a national competency exam and must have one year of supervised practice under a licensed acupuncturist before becoming fully licensed to practice. Continuing education is also a requirement to continue practicing acupuncture.

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture has set the industry standard for a medical doctor to practice entry level acupuncture at 300 hours of postdoctoral training with passage of an examination by an independent testing board. 

This bill proposes a mere 26 hours of training required for occupational therapists with no national standardized competency examinations, training standards, supervised practice requirements nor continuing education requirements for the safe practice of Dry Needling.  This is unsafe and is inadequate for this type of treatment.

The act of inserting an acupuncture needle through the skin into the body for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes constitutes the practice of medicine in general and acupuncture in particular. As "dry needling" is acupuncture, it presents the same inherent risks including but not limited to perforation of the lungs and other internal organs, nerve damage, and infection. Recent reports of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries associated with "dry needling," include pneumothoraces and spinal cord injury. These and other injuries support the statement that "dry needling" presents a substantial threat to public safety when performed without adequate education, training, and independent competency examination. Adequate training and competency testing are essential to public safety.