DEFEND PATIENT ACCESS TO DRY NEEDLING BY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

Help the NC Physical Therapy Association
Defend Patients’ Access to Care
In the Dispute Over Dry Needling

As a member of the physical therapy community, you know how important it is for our patients to be able to get the treatment they need. One of the treatments we offer is dry needling, a safe and effective intervention that North Carolina physical therapists use every day. The North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners has decided that dry needling is within the scope of practice of physical therapy. The American Physical Therapy Association, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, and the majority of U.S. states all agree.

Despite all this, the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board in September 2015 filed a lawsuit to make dry needling unavailable to patients who benefit from it. The members of the Acupuncture Board launched their lawsuit to prevent physical therapists from competing against acupuncturists. Their lawsuit seeks an order declaring that dry needling by physical therapists is the unauthorized practice of acupuncture—a Class 1 misdemeanor. In other words, the Acupuncture Board wants to make dry needling a crime.

On October 7th, the NCPTA’s lawyers filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of NCPTA members and their patients. Our lawsuit quotes public records that show Acupuncture Board members using their government positions to stamp out dry needling—that is, to crush competition from physical therapists. Worse, the Acupuncture Board did these things at the specific rquest ofthe Acupncture sociation. Our lawsuit asks the federal courts to hold the Acupuncture Board and its members accountable. You can find a copy of our lawsuit here.

The NCPTA is committed to defending our members and their patients for as long as it takes. To do this, though, we need your help.

Even if you do not personally offer dry needling, this affects you. The Acupuncture Board is trying to take away a treatment that our patients need. We owe it to our patients to stand up for their access to care. I am asking you to please consider a contribution to our legal defense fund—$100, $250, $500, or even $1,000.

Please donate today.

Thank you,

C. David Edwards, PT, DPT, CCCE
President, NC Physical Therapy Association