N.Y. safeguards citizens by requiring certification for acupuncture

You've decided to go to an acupuncturist or Asian Bodywork therapist. But how can you know if the "expert" you're seeing is a professional or a pretender?

There are safeguards in place, at least when it comes to acupuncture and certain "Oriental Medicine."

Certifications by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a non-profit organization founded in 1982, are designed to let you know your practitioner has been trained. The Alexandria, Va.-based commission sets standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and various aspects of Oriental medicine.

Spokeswoman Mina Larson said the group has so far certified more than 20,000 people in acupuncture, Chinese herbology and Asian body work.

"Without the credential, you don't know if someone has the skills or knowledge to practice," Larson said. "It becomes a public safety matter."

The commission is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, while testing service Applied Measurement Professionals administers and scores the commission's certification exams. The commission's acupuncture credentials are valid in 42 states, including New York; states license practitioners who pass the commission's test.

In 2006, Kentucky and Michigan became the latest states to regulate and acknowledge acupuncturists. California has its own credentialing system, while Wyoming, Kansas, Okalahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Delaware and the Dakotas have no acupuncture licensing process.

"Whoever practices in those states is doing it without regulation," Larson said.

To obtain a New York State acupuncture license, applicants must take a formal course or "substantial equivalent" before taking the Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's test. To take the test, students must also have at least 1,725 hours of training at an accredited acupuncture school, according to the commission.

The acupuncture program at the New York College of Health Professions in Syosset was the first approved by the New York State Board of Education, back in 1992. The program obtained bachelor and master's degree status in 1998.

According to New York State law, licensed acupuncturists may treat patients without obtaining medical referrals.

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