Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical approaches utilized for health conditions such as stress, pain in various areas of the body, anxiety, and even infertility. Although this modality of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is over 3,000 years old, acupuncture has only been practiced in the United States for approximately three decades. During that time, acupuncture has been progressively integrated with Western medicine. While this integration has many benefits, it also can cause confusion at times between receiving an acupuncture treatment from a medical acupuncturist versus receiving one from a traditional acupuncturist.
Whether you are considering acupuncture as a complementary therapy or as a career, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between the two areas of practice. The basic and most important difference lies in the training the professionals receive. Medical acupuncturists are Medical Doctors (MD) that participate in a course on acupuncture that is typically 200-300 hours. The course is designed to give physicians a working idea of the effects of acupuncture, teach them the techniques and further help them understand how their patients can benefits from this complementary therapy. However, some physicians offer acupuncture to their patients after receiving training for just a short period of time. Not only does this slim the chances of the treatment being effective, but in many states it is illegal.
On the other hand, traditional acupuncturists that are properly trained at an accredited institution and licensed have spent at least 2,000 hours learning principles and techniques of acupuncture. In majority of the states, it is required that an acupuncturist completes a 3-4 year program at an accredited acupuncture school during which they get both classroom education and supervised clinical application of what they had learned. This ensures that they are fully prepared to provide the public with effective and safe acupuncture treatments.
It is beneficial to thoroughly research the acupuncture schools in the state where you wish to practice. The Graduate School of Oriental Medicine at New York College, for instance, offers a 145-credit, nine-trimester Acupuncture Program during which students must complete an internship at their on-site clinic. The students are supervised by licensed professionals and the patients can get their treatment at a discounted price. New York College is an ACAOM-accredited school with four convenient locations in the New York metro area and a variety of holistic health degree programs.
Whether you are considering acupuncture as a complementary therapy or as a career, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between the two areas of practice. The basic and most important difference lies in the training the professionals receive. Medical acupuncturists are Medical Doctors (MD) that participate in a course on acupuncture that is typically 200-300 hours. The course is designed to give physicians a working idea of the effects of acupuncture, teach them the techniques and further help them understand how their patients can benefits from this complementary therapy. However, some physicians offer acupuncture to their patients after receiving training for just a short period of time. Not only does this slim the chances of the treatment being effective, but in many states it is illegal.
On the other hand, traditional acupuncturists that are properly trained at an accredited institution and licensed have spent at least 2,000 hours learning principles and techniques of acupuncture. In majority of the states, it is required that an acupuncturist completes a 3-4 year program at an accredited acupuncture school during which they get both classroom education and supervised clinical application of what they had learned. This ensures that they are fully prepared to provide the public with effective and safe acupuncture treatments.
It is beneficial to thoroughly research the acupuncture schools in the state where you wish to practice. The Graduate School of Oriental Medicine at New York College, for instance, offers a 145-credit, nine-trimester Acupuncture Program during which students must complete an internship at their on-site clinic. The students are supervised by licensed professionals and the patients can get their treatment at a discounted price. New York College is an ACAOM-accredited school with four convenient locations in the New York metro area and a variety of holistic health degree programs.
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