PT's should not be doing acupuncture!

This patient experience was sent to the Illinois Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

"I started going to PT in December of 2010 and Didn't finish until May of 2011 for a simple case of tendinitis in my left foot. They started needling my foot and calf about a month into PT. It was explained to me briefly, but not in great detail... I was told it was a new practice in PT offices and that it would speed up my recovery (it did not). I asked about his training, saying I had a friend who was in school for acupuncture and that it was going to take her years, so how was he able to needle me without that schooling? He said that PT's didn't need to go through acupuncture school because they already knew human anatomy. The needling was usually uncomfortable, but I was willing to do anything to get my foot in running shape again (even taking severe bruising on my calf from "massages"). I became concerned when the following happened. First, I started bruising a lot and the spot they were needling me was always red and swollen for weeks at a time, looking like I had about 10 little bug bites all over my foot. They were itchy and irritating. Then, I saw the PT assistant (a boy younger than me who had dropped out of college and was way too rough when massaging patients) needling himself and getting ready to needle someone else on multiple occasions... something I am quite sure he was not certified or even qualified to do. Overall, my PT experience was bad and dragged out longer than it needed, but the needling was what really made it uncomfortable for me, many times making my foot hurt worse for days after the needling instead of relieving the pain as it was supposed to do. When I went to a real acupuncturist, the experience was completely different and calming and it never hurt at all!"