Lloyd Wright, DNBAO, LAc, AP, BA

Lloyd Wright is the current vice president and former president of the Asian Medicine Acupuncturists of Arizona and has served on the California Acupuncture Board, the board of directors of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Arizona Society of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture, and the California Acupuncture Association. He holds a diplomate from the National Board of Acupuncture Orthopedics and served as a qualified medical evaluator for the California workers comp system, as academic dean for two acupuncture colleges, and participated in numerous site visits for school accreditation for the Accreditation Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is currently in private practice in Scottsdale, Ariz., and in the process of completing his Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at Pacific College of Health Sciences.

Previous Articles

TCM Herbal Treatment for COVID: History, Current Research & Action Steps
September 2022 (Vol. 23, Issue 09)
Point-Counterpoint: Should the California Acupuncture Board Raise the Number of Hours Required for Licensure?
January 2000 (Vol. 01, Issue 01)
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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