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As graduates of acupuncture school, we proudly display our new diplomas on office walls to assure patients of our academic education and professional proficiency. But although graduation from acupuncture school marks a milestone, it is only the beginning of our professional career.

In my last Planetary Herbalism column [October], I discussed important TCM formulas for boosting the immune system response via targeting qi and blood deficiency. In this installment, let’s address the incredibly important role of sleep for vibrant immunity and overall health.

Whether your acupuncture practice is thriving or you’re investigating ways to get more patients through your doors, adding services like a medical massage therapist is a great way to diversify your practice, attract more patients and keep them coming back. There is a lot to consider when you add another…

As occurs every Oct. 1, there are updates to the ICD 10 coding system. Some years, this update makes no difference to the common codes billed by acupuncture providers, but most years there are at least a few changes that do – and this year, like last year, does so,…

Sleep issues are disturbingly common in a “normal” world, but the past few years have been anything but normal. That means even more patients may be presenting to your clinic with various manifestations of sleep dysfunction – including insomnia.

Opioid prescribing remains an all-too-common reality in the United States and elsewhere despite increasing national and international guidelines emphasizing their dangers and promoting drug-free pain-relief, including acupuncture, as a first option. But for patients taking opioids, acupuncture also can help, relieving one of the common side effects associated with their…

Kim

Kenton

The anatomy of expression refers to the relationship between our facial expressions, our muscles, meridians and our inner universe. Our face is unique in its ability to radiate shen, display our emotions, desires and intentions, and provide a window into our overall health. As acupuncturists, we have the skills necessary…

When you are trying to communicate with patients, long gone are the days that email was king. The best and most reliable place to reach patients in today’s mobile world is via text messaging. In April 2021, Forbes wrote about “The Anatomy of SMS Engagement,“1 noting that 98 percent of…

I also propose that this problem-solving species, Homo sapiens, found that without knowing who we are and where, that we deal with fear through one of two ways: power or faith. Both mitigate fear, but there is never enough power or faith to assuage the original existential fear that is…

In 2013, the NCCAOM introduced a route for former diplomates to return to active NCCAOM certification by meeting eligibility requirements and passing an NCCAOM Reinstatement Examination. In 2019, due to the high volume of feedback and requests from former diplomates and other stakeholders regarding the difficulties with the reinstatement exam…

Pulse diagnosis has played a great role in traditional Chinese medicine ever since its beginning, more than two thousand years ago; and while it has been a staple of diagnostic methods in TCM all these years, guides on pulse diagnosis have been employing somewhat confusing metaphors to classify pulse qualities.

Some people think any bill is better than nothing. Details are crucial. No one has mentioned some of the most important considerations of the new Medicare acupuncture bill.

We began our EBM series in early 2020, just before the all-encompassing coronavirus pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives. While addressing the pandemic had not been our original intent, that was, inevitably, what happened. We dedicated, for example, several articles in the EBM series to a translation of the…

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is quite similar to Bell’s palsy, which is caused by varicella-zoster virus infection. The virus attacks the facial nerve geniculate ganglion, causing peripheral facial paralysis. It may take longer than three weeks for the inflamed tissue to subside.

Just as the metal element gives value to the earth in the form of minerals and trace elements, as well as providing the pure, life-giving qi we breathe, metal gives the inner sense of self-worth to each individual. The officials of metal (the lungs and colon) are called, respectively, the…

The concept of prevention is important when the seasons begin to turn a bit colder and darker. I always teach patients how to slowly transition their diet and daily routines to harmonize with the fall season and prepare the body for the coming winter months. The concept of using acupuncture…