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Practicing acupuncture in a public health context takes on a myriad of forms and truly is an example of “letting one hundred flowers bloom.” Acupuncturists can be found in every aspect of the public health sector - doing preventive clinical work in both in-patient and out-patient settings, providing public and…

The Acupuncture Poll question for October 2005 was: How will you celebrate Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day?

The California Acupuncture Board has approved a series of changes pertaining to the regulation of the acupuncture profession. Among the changes are new regulations for single-use needles and continuing education hours for practitioners.

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has announced the results of its most recent Board of Commissioners election. A total of four new practitioner members have been elected, all of whom will be serving on the board for the first time.

In October 2003, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine announced the creation of three new research grant programs. Known as CERC (Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM), DCRC (Developmental Centers for Research on CAM) and PICRC (Planning Grants for International Centers for Research on CAM), the grant…

It has been a dream of Diana Fried, an acupuncturist who lives in New Mexico, to create an organization of acupuncturists that can go to areas of disaster, much like the Red Cross does, to provide acupuncture treatments in situations where it would be appropriate. Once people have food, water…

In the July and August 2005 issues, the editors of Acupuncture Today reported on the status of more than two dozen pieces of legislation related to the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Since that time, several bills making their way through the legislative process have been passed and signed…

Two issues ago, Acupuncture Today reported on the efforts of individual acupuncturists to aid the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The outpouring of support demonstrated by the acupuncture profession in the past few months has been nothing short of remarkable, as dozens of practitioners have volunteered their time throughout the Gulf…

I had a denial for examination (99204) of a brand new patient. On the EOB form, it stated that “the service billed is included in another procedure billed the same day.” I do not understand this denial, as I am required to do an exam to ascertain the condition of…

Building Bridges of Integration for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the largest U.S. educational forum on TCM, was convened by the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation from Oct. 6-9, 2005 at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel and Conference Center in East Rutherford, N.J. It hosted a multidisciplinary audience of more than 300,…

In the July 2005 issue of Acupuncture Today , I wrote an article entitled “How to Be Extremely Successful in the Practice of Acupuncture and TCM.” In that article, I laid out a number of specific rules of practice principles which helped to shape my own successful practice over the…

It doesn’t seem possible that the holidays have passed, and it already is time to decide what you want to accomplish in 2006. There are lots of questions for you to consider, such as how many new patients you want to serve, how much you want to earn, and how…

“In fighting diseases and saving lives, there is only one medicine - the one that works the best for patients, no matter what it is named. The best therapeutic outcome will be achieved when Chinese medicine and Western medicine cooperate with each other and complement one another to form a…

In the days and weeks following the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, we have been successful in treating over 200 U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA, NOAA and Homeland Security personnel in Alexandria, La. The treatments took place in the Coast Guard’s Integrated Support Command Center. The command center, located about 150 miles…

Most of the patients I see in my clinic suffer from a variety of digestive disorders. They do not effectively process their food. They have diarrhea, heartburn, and acid reflux disease. They’re nauseated.

Self-care is essential for us to be good practitioners. So, you will do yourself and your future practice some good by taking time off before your begin if it is something needed to rebuild your qi before starting your practice. Once you are responsible for an office space lease and…

The Acupuncture Poll question for September 2005 was: Should naturopathic physicians be allowed to perform acupuncture?

A new survey has found that most physicians consider acupuncture to be more effective than any other form of complementary and alternative medicine currently practiced in the United States. The survey has also revealed deep divisions on the perceived impact of CAM on the quality of health care in the…

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and the University of Maryland have received a pair of research grants totaling $1.1 million from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The grants, awarded by the NCCAM in August, will be used to…

The National Oriental Medicine Accreditation Agency (NOMAA) has submitted a petition to the U.S. Secretary of Education requesting that it be recognized as a national programmatic accreditation agency. Should NOMAA’s petition be granted, it would join the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as the only national accrediting agencies…