So what is the difference between a dry needling acupuncture practitioner and a dry needler?
The biggest differences are:
SAFETY: Safe practice IS quality acupuncture practice. Wherever there is a medical intervention – like acupuncture – there is always associated risk and comprehensive training is of the essence to minimise this risk. Simple really, a minimum four years of training or a weekend trained dry needler?
TRAINING: in Australia, acupuncturists are required to undertake a minimum four year degree which will entail hundreds, if not over a thousand hours of skills development. An online search of dry needling courses will provide a result in .39 seconds showing the many short courses that teach very basic skills that simply do not have the supervised tuition – and skill development – that a degree-trained acupuncturist undertakes.
SKILL: Acupuncturists are skilled acupuncture needle practitioners with a variety of skilled needling techniques.
Skill in any field comes from practice. The foundations of an Acupuncture practitioners diverse range of needling techniques and skills is acquired during their initial 4 years of study.
THE DETAIL: This well researched paper will provide the detail for those interested.
