03/14/2026
https://www.acupuncturevsdryneedling.com/
The truth of the matter is, we, as Acupuncturists are near the bottom of the totem-pole from a political or power standpoint. We have the least amount of money, lobbyists and thus, power. If the reverse had happened and we plucked from Western Medicine, we'd have been shut down.
Acupuncturists have been immensely successful at carving away at the financial "pie" of Western Medicine because we focus on underlying cause vs symptomatic treatment. Our tools have been taken and different names given and lame explanations given.
Gua Sha (scraping technique) became the Graston Technique. Acupuncture? Well, it's dry needling, not Acupuncture! Cupping? Hey, let's just keep that name.
Frankly, I'm in the camp of "stay in your lane," as there is enough for everyone, but the stock market says enough is never enough.
Do you want someone needling you with 4+ years of education concerning said technique or approximately 8 days? Look up law suits concerning dry needling vs acupuncture in our Country and that alone should deter you from seeking it out. To be fair, there are dry needling Practitioners who have helped people, no doubt, but my problem with it is the safety and hypocrisy. As with so many things, it simply boils down to money, when what SHOULD be our focus, Patients and their well-being.
Dry needling is not a distinct therapy. It is trigger point acupuncture — a technique with over 2,000 years of documented history — rebranded so that non-acupuncturists could practice it with a fraction of the required training.
