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Are You Considering
Acupuncture?
By Diane Macchiavelli, Lic. Ac.,
Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM) 585-242-9518
Acupuncture is becoming
increasingly available as more licensed acupuncturists open
their practices in western New York. It
is important to become further informed about acupuncture
in general as you contemplate your own use of this ancient
healing system of medicine. Consider the following:
Acupuncture
is successfully used for a wide variety of illnesses
and conditions. Frequently, people with lower-back
and chronic pain due to an assortment of causes find relief
with
acupuncture
treatment. Acupuncture is known to reduce the need
for knee surgery due to osteoarthritis. Also, post-stroke patients
when
in receipt of adjunct acupuncture recover faster and
to a greater extent, spending less time in hospital and residential
rehabilitation
settings. Other areas of successful treatments are
for
those suffering with allergies, digestive disorders, reproductive
dysfunctions and migraines. And increasingly, substance
abuse
clinics include acupuncture in their treatment plan.
Fear
of Needles?
If you have fear of acupuncture needles, it is unwarranted.
Acupuncture needles are nothing at all like the more
familiar hypodermic needles used by your physician
to draw blood
or inject fluids. Acupuncture needles are sterile,
disposable, fine, and solid metal filaments. Unlike
hypodermics,
acupuncture needles are most often inserted into the
superficial surface
of the body. Since acupuncture needles have been
categorized as medical instruments by the Food and Drug Administration,
it is wise that you are completely guaranteed of
your
acupuncturist’s
license and registration by New York state. An up-to-date
and current registration certificate issued by the
state must be
visibly displayed within his or her office.
Licensing
and Certification
With licensing comes your assurance that the acupuncturist
studied a minimum of 4,000 hours of acupuncture theory
and practice, at an approved school, meeting the
three- to four-year
curriculum requirement. A New York State-licensed
acupuncturist is required to pass a five-and-one-half
hour, comprehensive
National Board exam. It is administered by the National
Commission for Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (NCCAOM).
The exam sets the standard for this distinctive health
care practice. Successful completion of this mandatory
testing guarantees
your complete confidence that the acupuncturist has
met the basic requirements to perform acupuncture
services.
Various Systems and Ideologies
Another thing to understand about the practice of
acupuncture is that there are many different systems
and ideologies
used in acupuncture treatment. Some acupuncture
schools thoroughly
teach one ideology in their training curriculum.
Other schools will have more of a "blended" approach,
whereby many different styles of acupuncture are taught
together.
Another variation is known as "Medical
Acupuncture." This
means that Western-trained medical doctors, osteopathic
physicians and dentists have taken a 200- to
300-hour short course in
acupuncture. They are not required to take the
NCCAOM Acupuncture Board Exam. However, some opt to take an
exam that is administered
by the Academy of Medical Acupuncture. Successful
completion
of this exam constitutes certification to practice
acupuncture. Some doctors additionally choose to study
acupuncture theory and its practice more comprehensively
at a fully
recognized,
four-year acupuncture school.
Below is a list
of the leading systems of acupuncture that are currently
practiced in the United States
today. All
of these systems are included under the designation
of "traditional
acupuncture and Oriental medicine." Some
also have varying styles within their overall
systems, further adding
to a unique
and characteristic practice.
- Koryo Hand Acupuncture
- Japanese Acupuncture
- Classical Five
Element Acupuncture
- Eight Principle Acupuncture
- French Acupuncture
- Korean Acupuncture
Auriculotherapy for Alcohol
and Substance Abuse
There is also Auricular Acupuncture or "auriculotherapy," whereby
acupuncture needles are inserted
only onto the outer ear or the "auricles" of
the patient. Technically speaking,
this is not actually acupuncture because there are no acupuncture
meridians
in the ears that
are being affected by needle
insertion. Notwithstanding, this type of acupuncture is successfully
used to treat
alcohol and
substance abuse as well as other
conditions.
An 80-hour training overseen by the National
Acupuncture Detoxification
Association
is available in order
to become an Acupuncture
Detox Specialist. Many substance
abuse counselors and social workers
complete
the training
so they can directly
perform
this treatment. In New York state,
acupuncture detox is supervised
by
a fully licensed
acupuncturist. Rochester has
several
approved clinics offering ear
acupuncture for substance
abuse
treatment. Many more of the traditional
treatment
programs will be adding
this in the very near future.
With
consideration of all of the above, you can begin to understand
how varied
acupuncture
practices
are.
The school
attended by
your acupuncturist and its
theoretical foundation will determine a unique
experience in the
treatment room.
If you have a
less than desirable experience
with an acupuncturist, it may
simply
be a bad fit. Perhaps the style
of
treatment that you receive
does not suit you or
your condition. Don’t
be eager to judge the whole
of acupuncture
based upon the failings of
a limited experience. Try another
acupuncturist. Rapport can
also
be an important factor in assessing
your health care provider’s
overall qualifications, just
as it is with your regular
physician.
You won’t need
a referral from your doctor
in order to obtain acupuncture
services and to have them submitted
for insurance
even if you are with an HMO.
Unfortunately
for the health care consumer, little insurance
coverage
for acupuncture
is currently
available in Rochester.
However, all of the insurance
companies to which I’ve
recently spoken have indicated
that the topic of acupuncture
coverage regularly comes up
at review meetings. Acupuncturists
and others believe it’s
just a matter of time before
all of the insurance companies
have some reimbursement for
acupuncture services.
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