Hello Idaho PTs and PTAs,

Welcome to the Idaho Physical Therapy Association Webpage. It is my pleasure to represent the Idaho Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, and all others association with Physical Therapy.

We have recently seen many positive changes in the state with the passing of House Bill 505 which enacted dry needling in the physical therapy practice act. With this legislation passing, there are still processed that need to occur for therapists to be able to practice this important tool. The bill itself did not specify rules and regulations for the practice of dry needling. We decided to simply get the ability to practice dry needling into the practice act and then allow for the licensing board to establish rules and regulations. This was done for a number of reasons. One of which was to make the rules and regulations easier to modify as the practice of dry needling and its acceptance and future training evolves. If the rules and regulations had been included in the law, then these are harder and much more expensive to change later. Also, we likely would not be as far along in the process if we had tried to establish rules and regulations in the bill.

With that being said, the Idaho Board of Licensing has determined that therapists must not utilize dry needling until the rules and regulations have been established. The Idaho Physical Therapy Board is currently working to establish these rules and regulations in meeting with interested parties (including the IPTA). As these rules and regulations are decided upon, they will still need to be passed by a legislative health and welfare committee as rules for the practice act. The legislative committee will not consider these rules until January 2019 and then the rules can be enacted in March of 2019. Patience is still required to see this process through. Remember we are much further along in this process that we were a year ago.

Thank you for your work and support of our legislation and the great work you do to represent our great profession.

Derek Gerber PT, DPT, OCS

President
Idaho Chapter
American Physical Therapy Association