It's no secret that the program at AOMA is rigorous and challenging. Acupuncture school will challenge you to discover your full potential as a student, as a healer, and ultimately as a professional practitioner. Though not easy, this truly transformational journey is meaningful and provides the foundation to building a successful career after school.

To become an acupuncturist, you must attend an accredited acupuncture school, take comprehensive national board exams and upon passing them, apply for licensure in the state where you want to practice. It takes most people an average of four years to get through acupuncture school. A master’s degree in acupuncture is the current entry- level standard for the profession. A few schools also offer doctoral programs in Oriental medicine, which would add a couple of more years.

1. Efficacy

There is increasing scientific evidence proving the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of medical ailments including chemotherapy-induced nausea, autoimmune disorders, chronic back pain, hypertension and allergic rhinitis. 

Coverage of acupuncture by major health insurance plans is also on the rise, and compared to traditional Western medicine, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are less expensive.

Acupuncture can also decrease reliance on prescription drugs, making it a safe, affordable and accessible healing modality.

2. A Growing Industry

The use of acupuncture is on the rise in the United States. Between 1997 and 2007 the number of visits among adults nearly tripled, rising from 27.2 to 79.2 per 1,000 adults.

According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), approximately 3.1 million adults in the United States used acupuncture in 2006, a 47 percent increase from the 2002 estimate.

Coverage of acupuncture by major health insurance plans is also on the rise, and compared to traditional Western medicine, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are less expensive. Acupuncture can also decrease reliance on prescription drugs, making it a safe, affordable and accessible healing modality.

3. Job Opportunities

The demand for acupuncture could soon outweigh the number of practitioners that can currently fulfill that demand. There are many possibilities for acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners. National Association of Advisors for the Health Care Professions, “The future of AOM is bright with great opportunity for graduates in this field.”

There are many possibilities for students who graduate from acupuncture school. Most chose to work in private practice or work with a group of practitioners, like a massage therapist or chiropractor, at a holistic health or rehabilitation center. As acupuncture is growing in demand, opportunities to work in pain management clinics and hospitals are becoming more available. The military is also becoming more open to employing acupuncturists to research post-traumatic stress which has shown positive results for treating veterans. 

There are also opportunities to travel with acupuncture by working for groups such as Acupuncturists without Borders or island hopping on cruise ships. Many students have done this right after graduating from acupuncture school as a sort of working vacation.

4. Credentials and Recognition

After graduating from acupuncture school you have to take board exams and apply for licensure. Most US states require national board certification for licensure. The NCCAOM administers the national board examinations for the profession. Each state has unique licensure and scope of practice regulations. In many states, candidates for licensure must demonstrate their diagnostic and technical clinical skill that they learned in acupuncture school. There currently is no standardization of licensure, for example, in Texas the license is called "Licensed Acupuncturist", whereas in Florida it is called "Acupuncture Physician" and in New Mexico it is called "Doctor or Oriental Medicine" (DOM).

5. Fulfilling and Lucrative Career

According to the U.S. Department of Labor National Center for O*NET Development, medianwages for an acupuncturist are $35.83 hourly, $74,530 annual. Recent graduates should keep in mind that statistics show that it takes 2-5 years for a new practice to get established. Factors like location, style of practice, and clinical specialties can all impact expected earnings. 

Hypertension is a series of clinical symptoms marked by increase of blood pressure in the arteries of blood circulation, according to the criteria suggested by the World Health Organization. Adults with systolic pressure greater than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure greater than 90 mmHg can be diagnosed with hypertension (the result of three tests taken intermittently in one day).

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnose hypertension?

Hypertension is similar to dizziness and vertigo in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is usually thought to be caused by emotional factors, constitutional deficiencies, diet and stress that lead to an imbalance of yin and yang in the liver, spleen and kidney*. Eventually this can result in hyperactivity of liver fire, or phlegm disturbing the upper, or frequent weakness of kidney yin and the failure of yin to control yang.

How does TCM usually treat hypertension?

It is essential to differentiate hypertension which is caused by excess from that which is caused by deficiency. TCM usually treats hypertension with body acupuncture, ear acupuncture, and herbs, but depending on the cause, the acupuncture points selected, techniques, and herbs will be different. The treatment for the excess type is to calm the liver to stop wind, eliminate fire and resolve phlegm. For hypertension caused by deficiency the approach is to replenish qi and blood, while nourishing the liver and kidney.

Case Study – Mr. High

Mr. High, 65 years old, has been diagnosed with hypertension for 10 years. He told Dr. Tan that he was experiencing dizziness, headaches, red eyes, a bitter taste in his mouth, restlessness, irritability, and poor sleep. He came for acupuncture twice a week for a month and was prescribed Chinese herbs.

Dr. Tan used the following acupuncture points: GB 20, LI 11, LI 4, SP10, ST 40, LR 3, and HT7. His herbal prescription was a modified Longdan Xiegan Tang formula. One month after the treatment, all his symptoms were relieved and his blood pressure was stabilized.

Dr. Tan’s Tips

Dr. Tan also recommends qigong exercises to help his body to regain the balance of yin and yang, calm the liver, eliminate fire, and replenish qi and blood. From a TCM perspective, it would also be better for hypertensive patients to eat more fruits and vegetables and less greasy and spicy food. Also it is advisable to avoid seafood which from the TCM perspective is stimulating and cold in nature. Food that is cold in nature promotes dampness and phlegm, which can make dizziness and vertigo worse. Fish is relatively better than shrimp and crab.

Herbal Foot Soak

This herbal foot soak can help to relieve vertigo, tinnitus, headache, limb numbness, and insomnia. To prepare the foot soak, cut the herb Gouteng (Gambir vine stems) into small pieces and wrap in a cloth with a littleBingpian (Borneol) and steep them in warm water. Soak the feet twice a day after getting up and before going to bed, 30-45 minutes each time and 10 days as a treatment course. These herbs require an herbal prescription.

Unique Herbal Prescriptions

Patients who suffer from high blood pressure should make an appointment with a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist as every person is unique. The practitioner will take a full medical history and do pulse and tongue diagnosis to determine the best acupuncture plan and herbal prescription.

*organs in italics refer to meridians in Chinese medicine, not actual organs.

Written by:

Dr. Shengyan ‘Grace’ Tan is a faculty member at AOMA and sees patients in the professional clinic.

The military seems to be leading the pack with the use of acupuncture in the treatment of psychosocial pain. To be more specific, the US Army has implemented several programs incorporating complementary and alternative medicine to treat symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). One of these programs happens to be right here in Texas at Ft. Hood. The program is titled Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program (WCSRP).

The WCSRP is an eleven week program combining the use of traditional Western therapies with traditional Eastern approaches to treat soldiers with PTSD symptoms. Various methods of complementary medicine are offered, such as acupuncture, massage, reflexology, sound therapy, meditation, reiki/bio-energy therapies, as well as mind-body practices such as yoga and tai chi. The WCSRP is a time-intensive program, requiring soldiers to show up every day for the first three weeks, participate in group-counseling, as well as individual counseling, and determine an individualized treatment plan incorporating complementary treatment methods which then continues over the following eight weeks.

Due to the success of programs like the WCSRP, there is growing support to make complementary medicine a standard in psychosocial treatment programs.

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in article titled "Acupuncture Used in Military Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program" (January 2013 AOMA Blog) are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Marines, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations herein are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines, and the U.S. Navy.

A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is the rapid loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to lack of blood flow or a hemorrhage. Depending on the area of the brain that is affected patients may suffer from an inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, an inability to understand or formulate speech, or an inability to see one side of the visual field.

Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol,smoking, old age, previous stroke, and atrial fibrillation. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor of stroke. It is the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. Stroke affects more than 700,000 individuals annually in the United States. About 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent attacks.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be used to prevent and treat the stroke patients.

Chinese medicine can be very helpful for preventing stroke and its associated risk factors. Acupuncture and herbs can help offset the systemic imbalances that contribute to stroke. These are issues such as long-term emotional and physical stress, being overworked, poor diet and dietary habits such as eating too fast, at odd hours, etc. and an overall lack of relaxation. Of course, the patient has to be willing to adapt their lifestyle, too.

On the rehabilitative side, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can improve muscular strength, muscle tone, speech disorder, and swallowing function. I usually choose points on Liver and Kidney channels since there are most commonly involved channels in stroke. However, different patients have their own characteristics. I will make a differential diagnosis for each stroke patient based on the stroke history and manifestation from tongue and pulse. In addition, I typically use scalp needles and attach mild electrical stimulation to the needles to speed-up the recovery.

As an acupuncturist and physician, I worked at the neurological center in China Sichuan State Hospital & Sichuan Provincial Academy of Medical Science for 13 years, where I treated 30-40 stroke patients daily in ICU and the regular wards.

A stroke patient came to see me in the AOMA clinic with his wife two weeks after the onset of the stroke. I could feel how stressed the couple was. The patient once was very happy with a positive attitude to his life. When he came into my office he was so depressed. He couldn’t walk, speak, or dress himself. After collecting all the medical history from him and his wife, I observed his tongue and felt his pulse. Then I gave a therapeutic plan for him. One month later, he already started walking and his fingers could grasp tightly. His life attitude completely changed. He is happy again after realizing that he can live normally under my care.

Sometimes, during the acupuncture treatment, I will give some Chinese herbs based on individual needs. For certain people the herbs can be very helpful in stroke recovery. I also give dietary recommendations to each patient to make sure the risk factors of stroke are under strict control and patient’s diet is balanced and healthy.


Dr. Nelson Song Luo is a faculty member at AOMA and sees patients in the professional clinic.

1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

2. Rest.

When you are tired, your body is susceptible to illness. Stay home and rest when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. Rest is some of the best medicine around!

3. Cover your mouth and nose.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Remind others to cover their mouth and nose, too.

4. Clean your hands.

Washing your hands for 10 seconds will often help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

5.  Drink a lot of water. 

When colds and the flu are going around, one of your best defenses is to keep your body fully hydrated so that your respiratory tissues aren’t easily irritated.

6. Stay warm and cozy. 

Oriental medicine believes that wind invasions can weaken your body and make catching a cold more likely.  Cover your neck and chest, and keep your feet warm and dry.

7.  Try Chinese medicine. 

Treatments can help strengthen your body’s immune system.  Oriental medicine includes things such as acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

 

Tips compiled by Song Luo LAc, PhD, MD (China)

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) serves as the authority for health and health care within the United Nations system and is leader on global health matters. In addition to playing a key role in medical research, establishing health care standards and policy, the WHO also monitors and assesses emerging trends in global health.

 

In 2003, the WHO published a review of clinical trials of acupuncture, Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials. As a result of this publication, the WHO recognizes 28 diseases, symptoms, or conditions for which acupuncture has been proven to be an effective form of treatment. These include:

-Adverse Reactions to radiotherpy and/or chemotherapy -Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever) -Biliary colic -Depression -Dystentery, acute bacillary -Dysmenorrhea, primary -Epigastralgia -Facial pain -Headache

-Hypertension, essential -Hypotension, primary -Induction of labour -Knee pain -Leukopenia -Low back pain -Malposition of fetus -Morning sickness -Nausea and vomiting -Neck pain

-Pain in dentistry -Periarthritis of shoulder -Postoperative pain -Renal colic -Rheumatoid arthritis -Sciatica -Sprain -Stroke -Tennis elbow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The WHO also recognizes acupuncture’s therapeutic effects for over 55 diseases, symptoms, or conditions, but noted additional controlled trials are needed.

 

Acupuncture is a system of medical care that originated in China thousands of years ago which has since become widely used in health care systems throughout the world. During acupuncture treatment, thin needles are inserted into the patient’s body at specific points to treat disease, alleviate symptoms, or relieve pain. The application of needles can also be combined with moxibustion (the burning of particular herbs over the skin) to stimulate certain points.

 

One of the most well-known modalities within Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is often used by practitioners in conjunction with herbal medicine, dietary therapy, Asian bodywork therapies, and mind-body exercise to treat patients.