Confusion is apparent concerning the term "lapsed status." By definition, an individual/constituent in "lapsed status" has allowed their certification with the NCCAOM to "expire" and is no longer considered a Diplomate certified by the NCCAOM. Currently, NCCAOM permits a former Diplomate in lapsed status up to eight years to return to active certification status. Those that do not recertify within eight years allow their certification with the NCCAOM to terminate. Once terminated, a constituent (i.e., a former Diplomate) must reapply and meet all current eligibility requirements.
As of January 1, 2013, NCCAOM certification will terminate for any constituent in lapsed status more than three years from their date of expiration (i.e. certification expires on 12/31/2009 and recertification does not occur prior to 12/31/2012). Currently, NCCAOM provides two routes for former Diplomates to return to active status.
In conjunction with the change to a three year time line for individuals in lapsed status, Recertification Route 1 will be eliminated on January 1, 2013. This economical route to return to active status provides a viable solution to individuals lapsed for multiple years. As of 2012, the recertification application fee and the late fee (formerly known as lapsed fee) have changed. Full details can be found on pages 15-16 of the 2012 NCCAOM® Recertification Handbook.
If you are unsure of your NCCAOM status, contact the NCCAOM by e-mail at info@thenccaom.org or by calling customer service at 904-598-1005. The certification services team is ready to assist you in any way possible.
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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