The decision by AAAOM to postpone its annual membership conference for one year was a difficult one. But, the Board believes that it will better serve the profession to instead convene leadership member groups in Spring 2012 that will focus on the short and long-term health of the association. It's no secret that AAAOM is working tirelessly to renew and strengthen itself during these extended economic struggles. It is indeed redefining and transitioning its leadership as the landscape of AOM in America undergoes consistent change and evolution. Thus, this meeting, to be held April 27 – 29, 2012, in Wheeling, Chicago, offers a great opportunity to continue to advance these efforts for the organization.
In hosting this event, AAAOM will meet and collaborate with the leadership of the other AOM organizations including, but not limited to, CSA, NCCAOM, CCAOM and ACAOM. There is a long tradition of these groups coming together to meet and discuss issues, but the program will be different this time. Foremost on the agenda will be the inauguration of a "state of the profession" event. Each participating organization will brief the assembly on key areas of their focus, followed by working sessions amongst all parties to determine common goals and directions for the profession over the next five years.
Sessions for these Boards of Directors will include advanced governance training, professional development and strategic planning. While these meetings are in session, students from schools nationwide will gather to follow a uniquely tailored curriculum geared toward enhancing their leadership skills, exploring career opportunities within AOM, and learning more about taking a stand on the legislative issues most significantly impacting the practice of our medicine.
AAAOM remains committed to ensuring that within the U.S. the AOM profession continues to grow and flourish. The association continues to develop a strong menu of valuable benefits to members including CEU opportunities, a portfolio of repeatable business blueprints to assist practitioners in refining their business practices, and the support of legislation that will pave a clear road for practitioners of the future. The hottest topic on the legislation table is the push for AOM to be designated as an "essential health benefit" (EMB) under the Affordable Care Act (see www.aaaomonline.org for details).
All members, both professional and student, are welcome to attend the upcoming meetings. Members can access additional information online at https://www.aaaomonline.org/page/leadership2012.
This column will help keep you updated and informed about the newest developments at the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The AAAOM was formed in 1981 to be the unifying force for American acupuncturists committed to high ethical and educational standards, and a well-regulated profession to ensure the safety of the public.
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
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One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
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