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Research is frequently touted as a necessary precursor to insurance coverage and health systems inclusion. But if research supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture isn’t readily incorporated into clinical practice and health policy; what about research that exposes the lack of adoption despite evidence supporting it? That’s the intention underlying a…

The newly enacted “No Surprises Act” is designed to prevent patients from getting large medical and hospital bills as a “surprise” when they assume the provider is in-network and later turns out to be out of network. It also protects patients by stipulating that they must be made aware of…

Planet Earth is clearly in crisis. This is evidenced by issues of global warming and its effects on the weather; as well as current farming practices and their effects on the environment and our food supply.

It comes up time after time – practices that don’t have an electronic health records (EHR) system that includes digital forms (or don’t have EHR at all) assume creating digital forms isn’t possible. The problem is, paper is clunky and outdated. Your practice spends a lot of time and space…

Current news topics point to the difficulty in ethical leadership. Facebook is criticized after the Pandora Papers leak alleged leaders have allowed business policies that may harm users. As acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners, we may not face the same billion-dollar consequences of questionable ethics in our daily business practices,…

Growing a loyal patient base can be as simple as informed conversations on the health issues patients think about daily, from diet to exercise to healthy aging and cancer prevention, and much more. Review and then share the following patient-friendly research summaries (the latest in an ongoing series) as an…

In an important study by Y. Li in 2019, the density of acupuncture points was calculated based on 654 classic acupuncture points and the 13 surface areas (number of points/dm2). Dr. Li found that the sites with the highest densities of acupuncture points are the head, feet and hands, followed…

While no specific HIPAA training requirements are described in law, accepted health care best practices should be followed by acupuncturists when compiling “necessary and appropriate” security awareness training, HIPAA training for employees at onboarding, and HIPAA refresher training programs. Let’s start with some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

The past decade has been marked by many powerful events, natural disasters, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis of displacement, social upheaval, increased economic disparity, food insecurity, and political unrest. The list is long. The facts are harsh. It is not surprising that the past decade has seen a steep escalation of…

East Asian medicine clearly is very old, so it is often difficult to change the way we think about certain diagnostic processes. If we want an example of how much trouble it is to change collective thinking, we can simply look to Dr. Mirkin’s “Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation” acronym (RICE)…

As an acupuncturist, you come into this profession wanting to help people restore their qi, address chronic health issues, and generally promote healing and overall wellness. For some practitioners, their passion lies in understanding and treating a specialty area like fertility issues or senior health concerns. What doesn’t generally come…

The increase in cases of chronic pain and arthritis during the cold winter months is extremely common in clinical practice. In my last Planetary Herbalism column [February], I touched upon warming medicinals which can target cold-natured health challenges. In this On Point column, let’s discuss important acupuncture points to stimulate…

Acupuncture is well-suited to addiction treatment. The luo vessels are especially applicable to help modify behavior and mental-emotional patterns. The Su Wen says the luo vessels are useful in treating “shen excess”; i.e., mental-emotional issues. The Ling Shu says the luo treat “rebellious qi.” Chapter 10 of the Ling Shu…

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States. According to the CDC, coronary artery disease (CAD) is among one of the most common heart conditions, affecting approximately 18.2 million adults. CAD occurs when the coronary arteries become damaged or diseased due to plaque. Plaque are cholesterol-containing…

Several important points expressed repeatedly in one manner or another during the coronavirus pandemic spur today’s news: 1) There will always be a “next” virus (either a mutated version of SARS-coV-2 or a new virus) that will require our collective attention; and 2) Regardless of how you feel about vaccination…

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Together, the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) are leading the profession’s effort to help U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.) advance H.R. 4803, the Acupuncture for our Seniors Act through Congress. H.R. 4803 would establish acupuncturists as Medicare providers, removing…