CLASS RESOURCES for CDNMT 2

Occupational Therapy National and State Guidelines on Dry Needling

The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) is the only professional society to confirm the use of DN by OT’s. The ASHT did not take a position stand on the use of DN by OT’s, however they noted DN is used by OT’s and PT’s. This statement notes DN is within the scope of OT, yet the state practice acts still dictate regulation for use of DN.

The AOTA currently has no official statement on the use of DN by OT’s. They are in the process of revisiting their previous findings of DN  issued in 2017, which advised:

Currently, no available evidence exists in the occupational therapy literature investigating the use of dry needling. Available literature in other health care professions has reported mixed outcomes in general and as related to function (2017).

This statement from the AOTA on DN, and the lack of support by the AOTA’s Commission on Practice (COP) may explain why many states are indifferent to using DN or are unsupportive of DN. The majority of state practice acts follow what is happening at the national level. In 2020, the AOTA created an OT-DN task force, which presented its findings to the AOTA, and change has been set in motion. Most importantly, the task force invalidated AOTA’s 2017 statement.

CDN2 VIDEO LIBRARY