Physical Therapist Practice Act – Sunset Update

Posted: March 7, 2018 

Why the Dry Needling Symposium needs your support!

Colorado Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, APTA Colorado members, students and supporters.

March 24th, 2018 will be the first Dry Needling symposium held in Colorado for Physical Therapists. If you utilize dry needling in your practice in Colorado, this is an event that needs your support.

This event is a direct fund-raiser to address the significant financial challenges of protecting the entire scope of Physical Therapist/Physical Therapists Assistant’s at the same time as working to ensure that the PT practice act is renewed in Colorado under the Sunset Act. This is happening right now.

The lawsuit brought against the PT board by two acupuncture associations over the use of dry needling by PT’s under Rule 211 was denied by the Denver District Court in December, but this decision has recently been appealed by the acupuncture plaintiff’s. Recognizing that this will likely now lead to a prolonged appeals process on the basis of the PT Board’s interpretation of the PT Practice Act, we have moved to modernize and update the PT practice ACT to make very clear what has already been determined multiple times by legislature in Colorado, that dry needling is part of PT practice.

Currently the Sunset Bill has passed the Public Health & Human Services Committee of the Colorado Legislature on a 10-3 vote, with an amendment to include dry needling into the scope of physical therapist practice passing 11-2. On Monday March 5th, the Sunset Bill, as amended to include dry needling passed 13-0, but no debate on dry needling was allowed, this was a vote purely on the financial impact of maintaining PT licensure. The good news, the legislature was unanimous in committee that we are worth the cost! We are ½ way through the house, the senate is yet to come.

We do have an ongoing battle to protect the full scope of our practice. The sunset bill updates the legislative definition of PT practice, allows PTA’s to partake in aspects of wound care, brings a PTA representative onto the PT Board, brings Diagnosis by PT’s into statutory language and will maintain the PT Practice Act through 2025. The bill also fixes our problem with the PT compact and we are back in!

What is needed now: Support the Dry Needling Symposium. Jan Dommerholt (Myopain) and Edo Zylstra (Kinetacore) are flying in to support our cause and present updates on dry needling, scar management, pain management with dry needling and to continue to advocate that a Physical Therapist need every tool in their tool box to address the needs of Coloradan’s. Sign up today or donate. 

Cameron MacDonald

APTA Colorado Chapter President