Previous Articles

Saying Goodbye To Healing
December 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 12)
Establishing Personal Rules In The Workplace
April 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 04)
Learning From Rookie Mistakes
February 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 02)
Community Justice
December 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 12)
Diversity and Acceptance
October 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 10)
Easy Acupuncture
August 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 08)
Santa Claus and the Evil Eye
June 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 06)
Violence and Stereotypes
April 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 04)
Excuses and Absurdities
February 2010 (Vol. 11, Issue 02)
Death and the Clinic
December 2009 (Vol. 10, Issue 12)
Consistency in the Face of Chaos
October 2009 (Vol. 10, Issue 10)
Patient Confidentiality
August 2009 (Vol. 10, Issue 08)
A Day in My Life
June 2009 (Vol. 10, Issue 06)
The Voice of Risk Management
April 2009 (Vol. 10, Issue 04)
The Little Laughing Lady
December 2008 (Vol. 09, Issue 12)
Needle Sickness, Code Blue and Vasovagal Attack
October 2008 (Vol. 09, Issue 10)
Is It Billable?
August 2008 (Vol. 09, Issue 08)
Not the Emperor's Acupuncturist
June 2008 (Vol. 09, Issue 06)
Trending
News / Profession
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution: China’s New National Standard
Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution

On April 1, 2026, China implemented a landmark national standard: Classification and Determination of TCM Constitution. Although designated as a recommended rather than mandatory standard, it represents a major step in modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by converting traditional constitution theory into a clear, measurable and clinically practical framework. By clarifying the relationship between constitution, disease, and pattern differentiation, the standard strengthens professional credibility, supports research, and enhances patient-centered treatment.

Ann Y Wang, CMD (China), LAc
News / Profession
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change

The field of acupuncture in the U.S. continues to grow in visibility, patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Yet behind the curtain, many acupuncturists are quietly struggling to keep their doors open. While the profession is rooted in centuries of healing tradition, modern economic pressures – particularly those driven by insurance limitations, low reimbursement rates and job-market saturation – are making it increasingly difficult for licensed acupuncturists to thrive.

Shabnam Pourhassani, LAc, QME, DACM
Acupuncture & Acupressure
It’s Time to Stop Prescribing Points
It's Time to Stop Prescribing Points

A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.

Bruce W. Park, DACM