Tymothy Smith

Tymothy Smith currently is a student and senior intern at Five Branches Institute in Santa Cruz, Calif. While he treats a wide range of conditions, his focus is on sports medicine and weight loss. As an intern, Tymothy has had the opportunity to learn from a number of practitioners of different traditions, including Japanese-style acupuncture, trigger-point therapy and various manual therapies. He also works as a personal trainer and massage therapist.

Previous Articles

What the Ancients Have Taught Us
August 2007 (Vol. 08, Issue 08)
In Defense of TCM
February 2007 (Vol. 08, Issue 02)
From Technician to Master
November 2006 (Vol. 07, Issue 11)
The First-Semester TCM Student and the Philosophical Adjustment, Part 2
September 2006 (Vol. 07, Issue 09)
The First-Trimester TCM Student and the Philosophical Adjustment
July 2006 (Vol. 07, Issue 07)
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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