PRACTITIONER & AMOUNT/TYPE OF TRAINING | |
Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
Acupuncture Physician (A.P.)
Registered Acupuncturist | Their primary training is in Acupuncture and/or Oriental Medicine, and has:
(a) Obtained a 3-4yr Master’s-level degree or diploma from a school approved by ACAHM (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine), and,
(b) is awarded the Dipl.Ac. (Diploma in Acupuncture) designation upon successful examination by the NCCAOM (National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) which is the national standard used for licensing in most states. |
1363 hours-2000 hours in Acupuncture -or-
2000-3000 hours in Oriental Medicine | – Used for a broad range of health issues, including chronic disease, pain, internal medicine, rehabilitation, and prevention based on Oriental medical theory. |
| |
Medical Doctor
Osteopath
Naturopath
Chiropractor | These practitioners use acupuncture as a complementary therapy: the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that medical doctors have 200 hours of training in order to understand when to refer patients to a more fully-trained Acupuncturist or Oriental Medicine practitioner |
300 hours or less for the practice of: - Medical Acupuncture - Meridian Balancing/Therapy, - Chiropractic Acupuncture - Naturopathic Acupuncturea | – Most commonly used for pain and basic ailments |
| |
Detoxification Technician (under the supervision of a L.Ac., and are limited to five (5) points on the ear)
Chiropractor | These practitioners use acupuncture as a complementary therapy: the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that medical doctors have 200 hours of training in order to understand when to refer patients to a more fully-trained Acupuncturist or Oriental Medicine practitioner |
Around 100 hours or less: - Detox Technical Support - Chiropractic Acupuncture - Medical Acupuncture | – Most commonly used for pain and basic ailments |