Tell us the DIFFERENCE between a licensed and medical Acupuncturist and receive $20 off your initial visit

Licensed Acupunturist

 

  • Licensed acupuncturists (LAc) with an average of 3,000 hours of master’s-level training

  • Master’s level, on-site training at a nationally accredited graduate school or college of acupuncture

  • Hundreds of hours of clinical experience and at least 250 actual patient treatments before licensure

  • Required to pass the national certification exam in acupuncture in order to become licensed (NCCAOM board certification)

  • Required to do regular continuing education to maintain national certification

 

Certified/Physician/Medical Acupuncturist

 

  • Certified physician, chiropractor, dentist, physical therapist or medical acupuncturists with 100 - 300 hours of training

  • Training which is often comprised of home study
    and video-taped lectures

  • Minimal clinical experience in acupuncture or no
    actual patient treatments before certification

  • Not required to complete the national
    certification examination to prove competency in
    acupuncture

  • Not required to regularly complete continuing
    education courses

NCCAOM is the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The NCCAOM provides the standard by which competency for licensure as an acupuncturist is recognized in 98% of the states that regulate acupuncture in the United States. Certification by this board is the hallmark of excellence and is recognized by regulatory bodies, professional institutions and the public. It also protects the public by ensuring that your acupuncturist has achieved safety and competency standards in accordance with the Medical Board of Virginia.

check here to see if YouR acupuncturist is NCCAOM Certified 

1905-2000 hours in Acupuncture 2625-3500 hours in Oriental Medicine

 

  • Licensed Acupuncturist

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine Comprehensively-trainedAcupuncturist

  • Oriental Medicine Practitioner

  • Oriental Medical Acupuncture

Many Acupuncture and Oriental schools exceed 2000 hours. Colleges in California must meet a minimum required 3,000 hours in Oriental Medicine. 

Oriental medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbology and dietary therapy, tui na massage, tai qi and qi gong meditative exercises. 

Typically a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) whose primary training is in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and has:

a) Obtained a 3-4 year master’s level degree or diploma from a school approved by ACAOM (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine)*, and

b) Has been board certified in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine (Diplomate: Dipl Ac or Dipl OM) upon successful examination by the
NCCAOM (National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine), the national standard for licensing in most states.

Uses diagnosis and treatment techniques based on Oriental medical theory to treat a broad range of health conditions, including
chronic disease, internal medicine, pain, and disease prevention.

300 Hours or Less

 

  • Medical Acupuncture

  • Neuromodulation

  • Meridian Balancing/Therapy

  • Chiropractic Acupuncture

  • Naturopathic Acupuncture

Typically a medical doctor, osteopath,naturopath or chiropractor who uses acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that medical doctors have 200
hours of training to know when to refer to a more fully-trained Acupuncturist or OrientalMedicine practitioner.**

Commonly used for pain management

 

100 hours or less

 

  • Medical Acupuncture

  • Chiropractic Acupuncture

  • Detox Tech

Typically a chiropractor or detoxification technician

Detox Techs must be under the supervision of a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) and are limited to 5 point on the ear.

Used for pain management or addiction & detoxification through auricular acupuncture.