Training requirements for physiotherapists

The training requirements for the practice of dry needling are currently not anywhere to be found.
The recent increase  popularity of dry needling amongst physiotherapists in Australia has occurred in the relative absence of regulation by the relevant professional bodies. In the past the traditional acupuncture course which has been run  for many years by the APA for physiotherapists, was considered to be the minimum standard of training required  for physiotherapists to practice needling by the APA, some state registration boards and physiotherapy  indemnity insurers .
Several years ago it was deemed by the APA that there was insufficient evidence to support the necessity of this duration of training .
No replacement recommendation was made for minimum training for needling of any sort by physiotherapists by the APA.
A work party of physiotherapists experienced in the practice and teaching of acupuncture and  dry needling has recently worked in consultation with the APA and representatives of the indemnity insurance industry to produce a document of guidelines for the practice of acupuncture and dry needling by physiotherapists.
In late 2006 a final draft of The “Guidelines for Safe Acupuncture Practice”  document was  produced . It was to be available to physiotherapists via the APA Acupuncture Study Group early in 2007. The  process of approving these guidelines by the APA has gone to yet another level  and it is uncertain as to when a document  or one serving a similar purpose will be available to physiotherapists.
The minimum training requirements in the final  draft of the guidelines was 2 days for dry needling and 8 days for traditional acupuncture.

The training requirements for the practice of dry needling are currently not anywhere to be found.The recent increase  popularity of dry needling amongst physiotherapists in Australia has occurred in the relative absence of regulation by the relevant professional bodies. In the past the traditional acupuncture course which has been run  for many years by the APA for physiotherapists, was considered to be the minimum standard of training required  for physiotherapists to practice needling by the APA, some state registration boards and physiotherapy  indemnity insurers .Several years ago this was deemed by the APA to no longer be the case.No replacement recommendation was made for minimum training for needling of any sort by physiotherapists by the APA.A work party of physiotherapists experienced in the practice and teaching of acupuncture and  dry needling has recently worked in consultation with the APA and representatives of the indemnity insurance industry to produce a document of guidelines for the practice of acupuncture and dry needling by physiotherapists.In late 2006 a final draft of The “Guidelines for Safe Acupuncture Practice”  document was  produced . It was to be available to physiotherapists via the APA Acupuncture Study Group early in 2007. The  process of approving these guidelines by the APA has gone to yet another level  and it is uncertain as to when a document  or one serving a similar purpose will be available to physiotherapists.The minimum training requirements in the final  draft of the guidelines was 2 days for dry needling and 8 days for traditional acupuncture.Physiotherapists wishing to practice dry needling are currently required to comply with the recommendations regarding skin penetration and acupuncture of the Physiotherapy Registration Boards in each state.

Physiotherapists should check  the stance of the physiotherapy registration board in their state for themselves however  it would seem that  there is  some debate as to whether or not physiotherapists are able to practice needling in WA . The SA registration board currently maintains that the APA traditional acupuncture course is required as minimum training for needling in that state.