Not All Acupuncturists are Trained Equally
When looking for a qualified acupuncturist in Asheville for serious concerns, chronic conditions, or long-term benefits, start your search for practitioners who are licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.). They will have the highest level of training in the field. You will find a list of licensed acupuncturists at www.NCAAOM.org. Differences between the training of licensed acupuncturists and other practitioners performing acupuncture are in the chart below.
Studies Confirm that Acupuncture is Not Safe in the Hands of Non-licensed Acupuncturists
Acupuncture patients may suffer from unwanted side effects in the hands of non-licensed acupuncturists, according to a comprehensive study conducted by the Institute of Community Medicine in Norway
Some Licensed Acupuncturists Have Additional Training and Certification in Other Areas of Chinese Medicine
“Full service” Chinese medical practitioners can provide Chinese herbal therapy, eastern nutritional counseling and Asian body work, in addition to acupuncture. These practitioners are Nationally Certified Practitioners of Oriental Medicine or Diplomates of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.). A list of local practitioners can be found at www.NCCAOM.org.
| Comparison of Licensed vs. Certified Acupuncture Practitioner |
|
| Certified/Physician Acupuncturist | Licensed Acupuncturist |
| Certified physician or chiropractors with 300 hours of training | Licensed acupuncturists (LAc) with an average of 2,700 hours of master’s-level training |
| Training which is often comprised of home study and video-taped lectures |
Master’s level, on-site training at a nationally accredited school or college of acupuncture |
| Minimal clinical experience in acupuncture or no actual patient treatments before certification |
Hundreds of hours of clinical experience and at least 250 actual patient treatments before licensure |
| Not required to complete the national certification examination to prove competency in acupuncture |
Required to pass the national certification exam in acupuncture in order to become licensed (NCCAOM) |
| Not required to regularly complete continuing education courses | Required to do regular continuing education to maintain national certification |
Licensed acupuncturists are also much more qualified than medical acupuncturists in performing acupuncture services. For more information about the differences between licensed acupuncturists and medical acupuncturists, go to www.medicalacupuncturefacts.com/.
Even training among licensed acupuncturists can vary widely. Some graduate programs include training in all aspects of Oriental Medicine, including Chinese herbal therapy, food therapy and body work and may require as much as 3,500 hours of training.
Lorraine H. Harris has over 3,100 hours in graduate studies in Oriental Medicine with advanced training in infertility, Chinese gynecology, tonic herbalism, and food therapy. She has worked in acupuncture clinics in San Diego and an herbal pharmacy. Ms. Harris is a licensed acupuncturist in North Carolina and California and is a Nationally Certified Practitioner of Oriental Medicine. She earned her Masters of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego. Her training includes Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Japanese Medicine, auricular acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na, qi gong, Eastern nutrition.
Studies Confirm that Acupuncture is Not Safe in the Hands of Non-licensed Acupuncturists
Acupuncture patients may suffer from unwanted side effects in the hands of non-licensed acupuncturists, according to a comprehensive study conducted by the Institute of Community Medicine in Norway
