Do you have a moment? I have a favor to ask
PATIENT SAFETY ALERT - CALIFORNIA - DEADLINE APRIL 17
Your safety is at stake.
We need your voice.
A bill is moving through the California State Assembly that we believe puts patients like you at serious risk — and we need your help to stop it.
The bill would expand the scope of practice for physical therapists to include dry needling — a procedure performed using the same FDA-regulated, Class II medical device defined as an acupuncture needle. This is not a minor change. The patient safety debate centers on one fundamental question:
"Is the training physical therapists receive sufficient for a procedure that carries real risks of pneumothorax, nerve damage, and infection?"
We believe the answer is no — and so do leading professional organizations. The American Acupuncture Council of Medical Acupuncturists (AACMA) and the California Society of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture (CSOMA) have found that current dry needling practice in states that permit it by physical therapists does not meet the standards adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA).
WHAT YOU CAN DO — RIGHT NOW
(helpful links & script included below)
Find your State Assembly member — call or email their office and tell them you oppose this bill as a patient who cares about safety. https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
Use the script(s) suggested at the end of this email. Both phone and letter scripts are included.
Share this message — forward to friends and family who receive care in California.
Acupuncturists in California complete thousands of hours of specialized clinical training in needle safety, anatomy, and point location. That training exists to protect you. We ask that the same standard of care be required of anyone performing needle-based procedures.
Thank you for being part of our clinic community — and for standing up for patient safety.
Miki Higuchi @ SPASM Acupuncture
Draft Letter
Subject: Please oppose AB 2497— patient safety concerns regarding dry needling
Dear Assemblymember [Last Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I am a constituent in your district. I am writing to respectfully urge you to oppose [Bill Number], which would expand the scope of practice for physical therapists to include dry needling.
As a patient who receives acupuncture care in California, my concern is straightforward: dry needling is performed using the same FDA-regulated Class II medical device defined as an acupuncture needle. The risks associated with this procedure — including pneumothorax (collapsed lung), nerve damage, and serious infection — are not minor. They demand the same rigorous training that licensed acupuncturists in California are required to complete.
Licensed acupuncturists in this state undergo thousands of hours of specialized education in needle safety, anatomy, point location, and clean needle technique. This training standard exists specifically to protect patients like me. I am concerned that this bill would allow the same procedure to be performed by practitioners who have not met that bar.
I am not alone in this concern. The American Acupuncture Council of Medical Acupuncturists (AACMA) and the California Society of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture (CSOMA) have noted that current dry needling practice in states that permit it by physical therapists does not meet the standards adopted by the American Medical Association for regulating this procedure.
I urge you to put patient safety first and oppose this bill.
Thank you for your time and your service to our community.
Respectfully,
[Your Full Name]
[Your City, ZIP Code]
[Your Phone or Email — optional]
Phone Script
"Hi, my name is [Your Name] and I'm a constituent in [City]. I'm calling to ask Assemblymember [Last Name] to oppose [Bill Number].
This bill would allow physical therapists to perform dry needling — a procedure using the same FDA-regulated needle as acupuncture — without the same level of training required of licensed acupuncturists in California.
This is a patient safety issue. The risks are serious — including collapsed lung, nerve damage, and infection. I urge the Assemblymember to vote no.
Thank you for passing along my message."
