The NCCAOM launched its new website and logo, along with a new designation for those nationally certified—NCCAOM National Board-Certified Acupuncturist. As the profession progresses in 2019 it's likely that national board certification will be a requirement for more employers.
Last year the Veteran's Administration (VA) added jobs for acupuncturists; however, a stipulation for employment rested on board certification.1 Another big player in the acupuncture field, Modern Acupuncture, also requires national board certification for employment. If 2018 is an indicator for what's to come it's likely acupuncturists will need this designation if they want to move ahead in certain areas of health care.
As the NCCAOM has been working diligently on helping acupuncturists move forward, they have also been gathering feedback from volunteers and various stakeholder groups to make some branding changes. The logo, now multi-colored, has a sleeker look, and the website has been updated with new navigation tools for a better user experience.
Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the patient.
Low-level laser therapy is having a moment in acupuncture circles for good reason. With a growing body of research supporting its role in reducing inflammation, enhancing circulation and stimulating mitochondrial activity, more practitioners are exploring its application in fertility care. But in the nearly 20 years I’ve used laser therapy in clinical practice, I’ve seen a wide range of outcomes. It’s not because laser therapy doesn’t work. It’s because many of us don’t realize how much the details matter.
“Integrating Traditional East Asian Medicine Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Supporting Cancer Treatment and Survivorship in the West,”published in Perspectives on Integrative Medicine (2025), provides a detailed exploration of how traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) can support cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. This article summarizes findings from the two case reports included in the study.
