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NCCAOM Diplomates in active status may obtain certification in Oriental Medicine by converting from Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbology certification(s).

When most of us think of acupuncture, we think of needles with a long shaft, but we shouldn’t forget that there are other highly-effective types of needles, too. One of those is the intradermal needle. It’s easy to use, helps extend the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments by remaining in the…

The healthy shen , whether animal, plant or human, chooses behavior that successfully defends and promotes the self. The healthy shen loves the self. This loving relationship (and all loving relationships) is based on trust and the healthy shen trusts the self. That self-trust is the result of habitually paying…

Two years ago when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010, a group of acupuncturists decided to get active to ensure acupuncture would make it into the “essential health benefit” package to be determined by the Secretary of Health and Human…

The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) has formally endorsed the American Herbal Products Association’s (AHPA) Botanical Authentication Program “as a valuable program supporting ongoing quality assurance in the herbal products industry.”

After you graduate from acupuncture school, you may find yourself suddenly alone in your new office with no acupuncture colleagues around. Where you were once among 20-30 other acupuncture students with instant community, you may have to start from scratch. Perhaps you’ve moved to a new town where you’re the…

I like to push my consciousness forward. One of my teachers instructed; we can only take our patients as far as we’ve gone. So when someone actually starts to create a new consciousness, it gets my attention. Such a person is author and physician Dr. Andrew Weil. His name is…

After years of taking histories of my cancer patients I have noticed a marked connection between their core emotional issues, their most imbalanced chakras and the location of the tumors. Cancer usually manifests in the body area near the most imbalanced chakra that is most affected by their core issue.

The following interview is with two acupuncturists from the Integrative Therapies Program for Children and Adolescents in New Jersey at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, a member of St. Joseph’s Healthcare System in Paterson, New Jersey. Christine Marcarian, MSOM, LMT, L.Ac from Acupuncture Body and…

Through the process of metabolism we are continually recreating ourselves. The food we ingest, after undergoing a transformative process, becomes part of us. Protein becomes flesh, carbohydrates become energy, the chlorophyl of plants becomes blood. This is a magical, alchemical process occurring every day. It is necessary to sustain life.…

The words “American” and “overweight” are quickly becoming synonymous. When you consume an empty diet of sugar, refined grains and hydrogenated oils, the result is an epidemic of obesity, nutritional deficiencies and chronic illness. A large majority of overweight people are actually starving – for real nutrients. The leptin system…

For the sake of this article, I would like to broadly define the word happiness . For some, the word implies something trite. I am using the word here in a very broad way, from a feeling of simple satisfaction to a transformative experience. It is a general state of…

It would be hard to identify any single skill that makes one successful in Hospital Based Acupuncture (HBA). In fact, I find myself increasingly frustrated as I speak with and instruct my fellow colleagues on this subject. It is not a simple matter of mastering one skill. If it were,…

The book ” The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation, and Disease ” by Robert Scaer is a fascinating look at how important treatment using the therapies of Chinese Medicine is when a person suffers a trauma. I am not suggesting that promoting Chinese Medicine was Scaer’s intent at all,…

I recently brainstormed the topic of troubled and/or psychotic clients with a group of close colleagues in different branches of bodywork and movement education. The exercise was invaluable. It highlighted the importance of a group discussion among health practitioners on the challenge of dealing with the unexpected, and in some…

One day, Confucius was walking with his followers by a beautiful river. Far up the river the group noticed a tremendous and dangerous waterfall with a beautiful pool below. As they walked closer they noticed a man’s body floating in the water. Very concerned that this man had chosen to…

I flew into the city of Hong Kong recently for the ICTM diagnostic codes meeting. There were about 30 delegates from China, Japan, Korea, Australia and the United States. The main objective was to complete and review Chapter 23. Chapter 23 is the material that is going to go into…

Elaine

Acupuncturists and TCM practitioners must exhibit professional conduct parallel to lawyers, doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals. This is established through many avenues including regulation, standards of practice, research, clinical success and clinic policies that protect the clinician and the industry as a whole.

A recent research study out of Hong Kong shows electroacupuncture stimulation can quickly reduce the severity of depressive symptoms to help patients dealing with depression recover faster using alternative methods.