Adverse Events Associated with Acupuncture and Dry Needling
Adverse Events Associated with Acupuncture and Dry Needling
This course includes
Overview
Acupuncture and dry needling are increasingly utilized interventions among physiotherapists in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. As with any other treatment technique, the inherent risks involved with needling treatments must be weighed against the potential therapeutic benefits.
Knowledge of the adverse events (AE) associated with needling treatments is essential in the risk management of physiotherapy practices. This course will discuss the types, frequency, prevention, and treatment of AE. This will include bleeding and bruising, vasovagal responses, pneumothorax, infections, cardiac tamponade, nerve injuries, broken and forgotten needles and concerns related to pregnancy.
Discussion of AEs from acupuncture will be based on existing evidence from prospective studies and recent case studies. Symptom recognition and prevention strategies from prominent health care organizations are included to inform safe practice.
Short Video Overview
Learning Objectives
In this online course, participants will:
- Identify the common adverse events associated with needling modalities like acupuncture and dry needling.
- Be able to minimize the risk of trauma or injury related to needling modalities.
- Have increased confidence in discussing potential risks related to needling interventions with patients.
Audience
This online course is for all rehabilitation professionals who may encounter patients treated with acupuncture or dry needling. This can include but is not limited to: physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, chiropractors, athletic therapists, exercise therapists.
Relevance To Physiotherapy Practice
The practice of acupuncture and dry needling therapies are within the scope of practice of most Canadian physiotherapists. There have been increases in the claims related to dry needling interventions performed by physiotherapists.
Most adverse events related to acupuncture and dry needling can be prevented or minimized. Understanding the risks involved with any treatment is essential when weighing the benefits and appropriateness in developing an individual plan of care for a patient. Additionally, knowing prevention strategies to minimize the likelihood of adverse events will ensure patient safety remains a top priority.
The instructors
L.Ac., DPT, OCS.
Dr. Valdes is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy since 2013. She began her career with a B.Sc. (PT) from the University of Alberta in 1980. After working in a variety of clinical settings in Canada, she immigrated to the USA in 1993 and was employed by Mount Sinai Medical center as a clinical specialist in outpatient orthopaedics where she continues to practice. She obtained a Master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Tristate College of Acupuncture (TSCA) in 1999.
Upon graduation she became a faculty member at that college where she taught point location, orthopaedic evaluation and trigger point classes until 2018. She is a national examiner of the Clean Needle Technique exam, which is a required to become licensed as an acupuncturist in the USA.
She obtained her DPT in 2015 from Arcadia University. As some one dually licensed as a physical therapist and an acupuncturist, she has written about scope of practice issues related to needling treatments.
Material included in this course
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Introduction
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Welcome and Course Slides
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Feedback
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Introduction to Adverse Events
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Differences between Acupuncture and Dry Needling
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Types and Frequency of Adverse Events
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Quiz
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Feedback
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Mild Adverse Events
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Bleeding and Bruising
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Pain
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Vasovagal Response
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Quiz
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Feedback
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Serious and Severe Adverse Effects
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Pneumothorax/Haemothorax
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Infections
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Cardiac Tamponade
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Nerve Injuries
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Pregnancy issues
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Broken Needles
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Q&A
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Quiz
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Feedback
Is a certificate of completion included with this course?
Once you have completed the course, a certificate of completion (including learning hours and course information) will be generated. You can download this certificate at any time. To learn more about course certificates on Embodia please visit this guide.
This can be used for continuing education credits, depending on your professional college or association. If this course has been approved for CEUs in specific jurisdictions, it will be noted on the course page and CEU information may be added to your course certificate. Please read this guide for more information.
I'm a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA). What are the discounts available to CPA Members on Embodia?
As part of our partnership with the CPA, we offer its members discounts on courses and Embodia Memberships. Learn more about the partnership on this page.
In order for the discount to be applied, you first need to authenticate your CPA membership. This is an important step as this is how Embodia 'knows' that you are a CPA member.
To authenticate as a CPA member, you need to sign in the CPA portal on this page, sign in to your CPA account, and then click the button on the page.
Please note that your email address on your CPA account must match your email address on Embodia. If needed, you can update your information on Embodia as outlined in this guide.
