Like many great initiatives, the International Dry Needling Education and Training Advisory Group (IDNETAG) was born out of the need to address significant challenges. As a provider of dry needling education in Australia and the UK, I observed the growing challenges faced by therapists, educators, insurers, and professional healthcare associations.
Therapists are confronted with the task of choosing safe and evidence-based dry needling education in an unregulated landscape where the variety of course content, delivery methods, and instructors can overwhelm busy clinicians. The explosion of dry needling course providers worldwide has occurred because almost everyone can become a teacher with their own course, YouTube channel, Instagram channel, or app. The onus is on the therapist to discriminate between the options.
Insurers and brokers, meanwhile, are tasked with assessing claims arising from dry needling treatments but often need more knowledge and support to make fully informed decisions. Similarly, professional healthcare associations are trying to identify reliable course providers to help their members meet continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. Still, they often need more resources to make accurate recommendations or accredit courses.
IDNETAG was established to try and address these challenges by setting the highest education and safety standards for dry needling courses. Our team comprises global experts in myofascial pain and dry needling, working together to ensure that therapists worldwide have access to high-quality, safe, evidence-based education.
The concept for IDNETAG dates back more than ten years, when Jan Dommerholt, President/CEO of Myopain Seminars, first explored the idea. In December 2022, we reignited this initiative, bringing together leading experts from around the world to collaborate and guide dry needling therapists. We aim to support educators who uphold rigorous safety standards and provide evidence-based training for dry needling therapists globally.
Today, IDNETAG is a global organisation, with professionals from Australia, Iran, the UK, Belgium, Spain, and the USA contributing to the field of dry needling. Our team has collectively authored five books, written over 660 articles and chapters, and taught more than 1,500 dry needling courses. Many of our members are affiliated with prestigious institutions such as Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Ghent University, China Medical University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and the University of Maryland, bringing over 200 years of combined experience in postgraduate teaching and clinical practice. This international collaboration ensures that our standards represent the global dry needling community.
Our mission is to develop and refine safety protocols for dry needling, particularly for muscles near caution structures. We ensure these protocols are grounded in the latest research and expert consensus, refining them through Delphi studies that gather input from a wide network of dry needling professionals. This process ensures that our guidelines reflect the most up-to-date evidence, enabling therapists to practice safely and effectively.
IDNETAG is dedicated to advancing dry needling therapy through the highest education and safety standards. We foster a global network of therapists, educators, and professional healthcare associations to share knowledge and promote safe, evidence-based practices. By working closely with insurers and professional associations, we aim to support the entire dry needling ecosystem—from therapists to regulatory bodies.
IDNETAG’s work extends beyond individual therapists. Professional indemnity providers and healthcare associations face challenges in understanding and evaluating claims related to adverse events from dry needling treatments. Some insurers struggle with the distinction between dry needling, acupuncture, and medical acupuncture. Through collaboration, IDNETAG seeks to reduce claims, protect public safety, and support insurers and associations in making informed decisions that impact therapists’ livelihoods and patient care.
We are committed to transparency and open communication with insurers. This ensures that therapists are always informed about best practices and risk management strategies, empowering them to create safer practice environments and helping maintain manageable insurance costs. Additionally, we collaborate with professional associations to provide the latest research, guidelines, and educational content. This partnership positions us as leading experts in dry needling, ensuring that course recommendations are always based on current, evidence-based standards.
In summary, IDNETAG’s mission goes beyond addressing present challenges; it is about shaping the future of dry needling education and practice. We provide a reliable, evidence-based framework for educators, therapists, insurers, and professional associations. Through global collaboration and a commitment to the highest safety standards, we are actively shaping the future of dry needling therapy, ensuring safer and more effective treatments for therapists and patients worldwide.
Wael Mahmoud, Dip. Osteopathy, Master of Applied Science (Acupuncture)
Director, CPD Health Courses, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
