Atlantic Acupuncture

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Oriental Medicine in the United States

The practice of Oriental Medicine includes Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Bodywork Techniques (such as Tuina and Acupressure), Dietary Therapy, and other Supportive Therapies such as breathing and stretching exercises. These therapeutic modalities, practiced safely and effectively throughout Asia for thousands of years, originated in ancient China. Oriental Medicine was introduced to the United States by Asian immigrants, but did not gain widespread acceptance until the years following the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in the early 1970’s.
"These therapeutic modalities, practiced safely and effectively throughout Asia for thousands of years, originated in ancient China."
Presently, more than forty states have passed legislation regulating the practice of acupuncture, and there are almost 20,000 Licensed Acupuncturists nationwide, most of whom graduated from one of about fifty accredited colleges of Acupuncture located across the U.S. The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) is the national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit Masters-level programs in the Acupuncture and Oriental Medical profession. As the course of study in ACAOM accredited Acupuncture and Oriental Medical programs encompasses far more than the single modality of Acupuncture, the ACAOM, NCCAOM and other organizations have more recently promoted the use of the term Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (A&OM) as the designation for our field in the United States. The ACAOM has created the highest standards for schools that seek accreditation in order to assure the highest quality of professional education in this field. For more information about the ACAOM and standards for colleges of A&OM, visit www.acaom.org.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is recognized by the World Health Organization and the prestigious National Institute of Health as safe and effective treatment for a number of specific medical conditions, and its acceptance and popularity continues to grow. It is a complex and complete system of medicine with a rich and well-documented history that spans well over three thousand years. Archaeological finds of gold and silver acupuncture needles, along with inscriptions describing various ailments, date to 1,000 B.C.E., and stone acupressure implements date to several thousand years earlier. One of the oldest and most influential medical texts is the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic (Huang Di Nei Jing), compiled Warring States period (403-222 B.C.E.). Scholars and physicians have verified that this ancient medical text, the first of its kind, was available to the public no later than 24 AD, and consisted of two volumes. This important two-volume medical text is still quoted in today’s modern Chinese medical texts, and its existence proves that Chinese Medicine was already a well-developed and complex system more than 2,500 years ago.
"Archaeological finds of gold and silver acupuncture needles, along with inscriptions describing various ailments, date to 1,000 B.C.E., and stone acupressure implements date to several thousand years earlier."
Students who choose to study and eventually practice in the United States today must complete a four-year course of study, comprised of a minimum of 2,625 hours, including at least 660 hours of hands-on clinical training. Most schools teach a base curriculum of traditional Chinese Medical theory and practice, with the addition of Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or other styles. A student must pass a rigorous national examination in order to be recognized by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) as a licensed practitioner of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. There is also a separate, optional Chinese Herbal Medical Certification. Currently, over forty states have passed legislation pertaining to the practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and most states (including Florida) require NCCAOM certification as a prerequisite to licensure on the state level. For more information about the NCCAOM and standards for certification in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine, visit www.nccaom.org. For information about the practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in the state of Florida, visit www.fsoma.com.

More About A&OM

Rooted in its native Eastern philosophy, this nature-based medicine maintains a holistic point of view, in which the human being is seen as a microcosm unto itself, interacting with its surroundings. Illness is viewed not as a cause and effect relationship, but as part of a greater pattern of disharmony. The ancient Eastern concepts of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases were formed through natural observation, and both serve as general guides to Oriental medical diagnosis and treatment. Yin and Yang represent two opposite yet complimentary aspects to every object, life form, and phenomenon in the universe.
"Yin and Yang represent two opposite yet complimentary aspects to every object, life form, and phenomenon in the universe."
They are viewed in relative terms. Some examples of Yin are nighttime, stillness, the moon, a shy introverted personality and dull achy pain that dissipates when treated with warmth. Some examples of Yang are daytime, action, the sun, a boisterous extroverted personality and pronounced pain with redness and heat which responds favorably with cold. The Five Phases – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – represent the natural processes and tendencies inherent in all aspects of life, from seasons, to colors, to the basic elements which make up the worlds within and around us. The theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases are two of the earliest and most important concepts in all of Eastern thought and philosophy, and they have greatly influenced not only Chinese medicine, but every aspect of Chinese culture. As these concepts are quite broad and non-linear, they tend to be difficult to grasp at first, especially for the Western mind. For those who would like to learn more about these concepts and how they relate to Oriental Medicine, I recommend Ted Kaptchuks’s book The Web That Has No Weaver. (Congdon And Weed Inc., 1983).