Sara Calabro, LAc

Sara Calabro, LAc, is a former healthcare business journalist and the founding editor of AcuTake, an online publication about acupuncture for the general public. She created the blog AcuTake (www.acutakehealth.com).

Previous Articles

Discovering What Makes You Unique
November 2012 (Vol. 13, Issue 11)
Tackling TMJ
April 2012 (Vol. 13, Issue 04)
Everyone and No One Has Carpal Tunnel
February 2012 (Vol. 13, Issue 02)
Scalp Acupuncture for Stroke
November 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 11)
Realizing a Life Long Dream
October 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 10)
Acupuncture As Hormone Regulation Therapy
July 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 07)
Trigger Points for Runner's Knee
April 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 04)
Where Acupuncture and Weight Loss Meet
March 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 03)
Acupuncture on the Big Screen
February 2011 (Vol. 12, Issue 02)
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