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Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedAcupuncture
Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Douglas Dupler
Precautions
Acupuncture is generally a very safe procedure. If a patient is in doubt about a medical condition, more than one physician should be consulted. Also, a patient should always feel comfortable and confident that their acupuncturist is knowledgable and properly trained.
Research & general acceptance
Mainstream medicine has been slow to accept acupuncture; although more MDs are using it, the American Medical Association does not recognize it as a specialty.
The reason for this is that the mechanism of acupuncture is difficult to scientifically understand or measure, such as the invisible energy of chi in the body. Western medicine, admitting that acupuncture works in many cases, has theorized that the energy meridians are actually part of the nervous system and that acupuncture relieves pain by releasing endorphins, or natural pain killers, into the bloodstream. Despite the ambiguity in the biochemistry involved, acupuncture continues to show effectiveness in clinical tests, from reducing pain to alleviating the symptoms of chronic illnesses, and research in acupuncture is currently growing. The Office of Alternative Medicine of the National Institute of Health is currently funding research in the use of acupuncture for treating depression and attention-deficit disorder.
Training & certification
Medical acupuncture has evolved in America which uses traditional methods mainly as surgical techniques and pain management, and not as part of Chinese medicine overall. Medical acupuncture is performed by an MD or an osteopathic physician (DO). Currently twenty-three states allow only this type of acupuncture. Practitioners get their training as part of conventional medical school programs. As any MD can legally perform acupuncture, The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) was chartered in 1987 to support the education and correct practice of physician-trained acupuncturists. Its members must be either MDs or DOs who have completed proper study of acupuncture techniques. Address: 5820 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90036, phone (213) 937-5514.
For traditional acupuncturists, The National Commission for Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCA) conducts certification exams, promotes national standards, and registers members. Most states that license acupuncturists use the NCCA standards as certification. Address: 1424 16th St. NW, Suite 501, Washington, D.C. 20036, phone (202) 232-1404.
The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) is the largest organization for practitioners, with over 1600 members. Address: 433 Front St., Catasaugua, PA 18032, phone (610) 266-1433.Key Terms
- Acupressure
- Form of massage using acupuncture points.
- Auricular acupuncture
- Acupuncture using only points found on the ears.
- Chi
- Basic life energy.
- Meridian
- Channel through which chi travels in the body.
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