Acupuncture
By Mark Rowh
Acupuncture and oriental medicine are based on ancient approaches to healing, but they provide new alternatives for your career in health care.
A growing trend in modern health care is the use of acupuncture and other forms of traditional medical treatment, many of which came into use centuries ago. Until recently, many health care professionals considered these approaches outside the mainstream of accepted medical practice. But they have enjoyed increased acceptance and popularity in recent years as more and more medical experts have started to recognize the potential of complementary and alternative medicine, and as more consumers seek different ways of caring for themselves and their families.
What is acupuncture?
Developed in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture is now practiced throughout the United States by medical doctors and other health care professionals, including specially trained professionals known as acupuncturists.
Acupuncturists insert flexible needles into the skin at key body locations. These needles, which are not much thicker than a human hair, are inserted a fraction of an inch into the body, usually just touching a muscle. In placing these needles, acupuncturists help relieve pain—especially back and leg pain—and a variety of other ailments. Depending on their training and professional capacity, practitioners may also administer herbal treatments or other remedies, such as remedial massage or nutritional therapy.
In addition to helping reduce pain or alleviate other medical problems, acupuncturists advise patients about healthy living. They help promote lifestyles that may reduce health risks and medical challenges.
What do practitioners in this field study?
To prepare for a career in oriental medicine, most students attend a school that specializes in some combination of acupuncture, oriental medicine, herbal studies, and other related areas. The certifications offered and length of such programs vary from school to school and among the states. A typical program might take up to three years of study and lead to a master’s degree. In some states, students must complete 1,000 to 2,000 hours of training or more in acupuncture and related areas such as anatomy and physiology in order to become licensed. An associate degree, or more typically, a bachelor’s degree, may be required for admission to one of these programs.
Some training programs are affiliated with traditional colleges or universities where acupuncture is taught to medical doctors or students along with more conventional treatments. Health care specialists such as chiropractors and osteopathic doctors may also complete training in acupuncture and oriental medicine.
In schools that specialize in training acupuncturists, students study the unique techniques involved in the field. This includes traditions of oriental medicine, basic and advanced needling techniques, body therapy, and the use of herbal medicines. They also complete courses in areas such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and medical ethics.
Early in their training, students focus on classroom instruction. As they progress, they complete internships or work as clinical assistants under the supervision of senior instructors. Following the completion of classroom and clinical training, students must become licensed to practice. Standards and practices for licensing vary in different states.
What is the career outlook?
As the practice of acupuncture and oriental medicine gains acceptance in the United States, career prospects in this field are becoming increasingly promising. Acupuncturists may work for physicians who specialize in complementary medicine or in clinics that provide both traditional and non-traditional health care.
Many acupuncturists run their own clinics where they operate as independent providers. In this role, practitioners have the option of keeping their business small or growing it into a larger firm, sometimes in partnership with other providers.
Students who are interested in a career in acupuncture or oriental medicine should have a caring attitude, a love of science, and the ability to work carefully and precisely. If you’re interested in a health career and are open to ideas that some consider unconventional, acupuncture and oriental medicine may provide the right challenges for you.
Mark Rowh is the author more than twenty books on college and career planning. For more information on oriental medicine as a career option, contact the American Association of Accupuncture and Oriental Medicine, P.O. Box 162340, Sacramento, CA 95816 or www.aaaom.org.
2009
