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Dry needling, described in the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology as "Needle insertion without injection, 1-2 muscles" (CPT 20560) and "Needle insertion without injection, 3 or more muscles" (CPT 20561), is not a new intervention, but it has been growing in popularity among physical therapists in recent years to treat pain and movement impairments. As with all interventions, whether long-standing or newly emerging, the question of how dry needling fits into the scope of practice for physical therapists has three components: professional, jurisdictional, and personal.

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