Legislation is being proposed that would authorize physical therapists to perform “dry needling” in California. Under existing California law and regulatory interpretation, dry needling falls within the statutory definition of acupuncture because it involves the insertion of acupuncture needles, Class II medical devices regulated by the FDA, into the human body to stimulate anatomical points.

The issue is patient safety and professional standards.

In California, more than 13,000 licensed acupuncturists complete a four-year master’s or doctoral-level education, including minimum 2,050 hours of didactic instruction and 950 hours of supervised clinical training before they are permitted to insert a needle into a patient. These rigorous requirements were established deliberately by the Legislature to protect the public from harm associated with invasive procedures.

Improper needle insertion, particularly near the lungs, organs, spine, or major blood vessels, can cause serious complications, including pneumothorax (collapsed lung), nerve injury, infection, and organ puncture. These are not theoretical risks. In recent years, high-profile cases have demonstrated the real dangers of inadequately trained practitioners performing dry needling.

In December 2025, T. J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers publicly disclosed that he suffered a pneumothorax during a dry needling procedure, requiring surgery. Previously, an American freeskier -Torin Yater-Wallace -sustained a collapsed lung from dry needling performed by a physical therapist prior to competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and a World-class Canadian judo athlete -Kim Ribble-Orr- suffered a career-ending lung injury and infection following the same procedure performed by her massage therapist.

While professional athletes may have immediate access to emergency medical care, many Californians do not.

California has already established clear statutory boundaries: invasive needle procedures such as acupuncture may be performed by licensed acupuncturists, physicians, surgeons, dentists, and podiatrists — professionals who meet comprehensive education and licensure standards. Creating a lower or parallel standard for the same invasive procedure would undermine these safeguards and create a two-tiered system of needle medicine that places patients at unnecessary risk.

There is no access crisis. California has thousands of highly trained, licensed acupuncturists who are accessible to provide this care safely and lawfully.

Patient safety must remain paramount. The Legislature should not lower training standards for invasive procedures or circumvent the protections it has carefully enacted.

We respectfully urge you not to author or support this proposal and to safeguard the health and safety of the people of California.

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