The Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA) took on the Board of Physical Therapy, allegeding that "physical therapists are not adequately trained in the insertion of filiform needles into the human body and carries the potential for harm to patients and the profession of acupuncture."1
An argument to this effect pointed to a policy statement issued by the American Medical Association (AMA) at its 2016 Annual Meeting stating that dry needling is "an invasive procedure and ... should only be performed by practitioners with standard training and familiarity with routine use of needles in their practice, such as licensed medical physicians and licensed acupuncturists." The press release announcing the AMA policy specifically mentioned physical therapists in terms of "lax regulation and nonexistent standards" surrounding the invasive practice of dry needling.1
FSOMA sent out an email to members announcing the win and posted a statement on their website, "An Administrative Law Judge at the Division of Administrative Hearings issued a final order today in favor of the Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA), declaring the Board of Physical Therapy Practice Proposed Rule pertaining to Dry Needling invalid."2
Although this ruling is only for the state of Florida the precedent has been set—with hope that other states will soon follow with similar rulings.
References
TrA-2, my primary needle location, I needle 95% of the time and I think it works the best. You’ll know you have the right point location when you discover the muscle twitching when applying electric stimulation.
The NCCAOM distributed the Job Task Analysis (JTA) Survey on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, to all licensed acupuncturists and herbal medicine practitioners. Your participation in this effort is invaluable in defining NCCAOM exam content outlines at the entry-to-practice level. The data collected is essential for recognition and advancing the acupuncture and herbal medicine profession with government agencies, employers and other institutions.
| Digital Exclusive
On Dec. 7, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its “Guideline for Non-Surgical Management of Chronic Primary Low Back Pain in Adults in Primary and Community Care Settings.” The purpose of the 244-page document is to “provide evidence-based recommendations on nonsurgical interventions for chronic primary LBP in adults” that will improve outcomes.
| Digital Exclusive