Don't Trust a Hobbyist With Your Health

Did you know that an MD can practice acupuncture in Florida without any training or become certified in a short course? Did you know that a Chiropractor can be certified as an acupuncturist in just 100 hours? Patients often confuse this qualification with that of a Licensed Acupuncture Physician who has studied and trained for years and thousands of hours in Oriental Medicine, passed two or more arduous National board examinations and is licensed and regulated by the State of Florida? Oriental Medicine is an entirely different medical model from Western medicine so one does not correlate to the other.

Just as it takes rigorous study to achieve competency as a dentist, MD or chiropractor, so does proficiency in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine require years of training and practice. Would you visit and MD for a root canal or have surgery performed by a Chiropractor? Seeing your MD or Chiropractor for Acupuncture is no different.

The popularity of complementary medicine coupled with the recent NIH efficacy studies have led to many HMO's, hospitals and clinics to incorporate acupuncture, herbs and Oriental Medicine into their delivery systems. Instead of hiring qualified practitioners, these clinics train MDs and other health care professions in a short course and delcare them qualified acupuncturists.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is a complete form of medicine, therefore it is unrealistic to train for two weeks or 100 hours and learn the system. Safety issues and effective treatment require higher standards and more intensive study.  To protect yourself, ask your practitioner about the length of his/her training in Oriental Medicine. Make sure their training is a minimum of three years, they are licensed by the State Department of Health in Acupuncture and they are Board Certified by the NCCAOM.