The traditional Chinese practice of acupuncture is gaining traction in the United States and is becoming one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine. In the last two decades, more and more doctors have legitimized the practice of acupuncture as real medicine. Several schools now have the accreditation to award degrees in this field and prepare students for the professional world.
Standard certificate programs have students enter the workforce after a typical course load of three to four years. Through the study of acupuncture, students will be taught how to properly insert needles, how to diagnose and assess a patient’s condition, learn massage techniques, and how to identify acupuncture points and the organs connected to them. Course work will consist of treatment principles, anatomy, physiology, meridians and points, Chinese herbology, ethics, practice management, and more.
Through the classes, students will learn how to successfully practice medicine using the three departments based on a traditional Chinese hospital. Students will use Chinese thinking to diagnose and apply acupuncture, herbal, and Asian bodywork skills to treat patients. The schooling will also provide comprehensive practice in Western clinical skills that will support the Chinese aspects of therapy. These skills include homeopathy, mind-body medicine, and craniosacral therapy.
Prior to admission to a master’s program in acupuncture, students must have documented proof that they have successfully completed at least 60 semester credits (90 quarter hours) at the bachelor’s level. Tuition for the program will vary depending on the school you attend. The average price for a master’s degree in acupuncture ranges from $38,000 to $45,000 upon completion of the program. These prices include the cost of tuition, books, and malpractice insurance. Upon completion of the course load, students must pass the certification exam. The NCCAOM exam, upon successful completion, allows students to enter the workforce. Many schools are seeing a high percentage of graduates who continue to practice.
Acupuncture technician students will learn how to relieve patients’ pain by using thin needles and inserting them into specific areas of the body where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow and releases pain-relieving opioids and serotonin because those chemicals are the body’s natural pain relievers.
Along with the medical aspects of schooling, students will learn about the practice based on its origins rooted in Chinese philosophy and beliefs. The origins of acupuncture will show students that Chinese medicine explains that health is the product of a harmonious balance of the complementary parts of yin and yang. This balance will be explored through the hundreds of acupuncture points on the body that relate to the Chinese belief that life force flows through pathways called meridians. These pathways are how life force and energy flow can be accessed.
Acupuncturists typically work in an office related to health care or one that is solely related to acupuncture. Once a practice is established, a lone practitioner typically earns more than a salaried worker. The average hourly wage for an acupuncturist is $15.48. With the continuing rise in the legitimacy of the practice, the opening of more schools dedicated to the therapy, and more people seeking alternative, less invasive forms of health care, the practice will continue to grow. This growth will provide a steady increase in job opportunities for individuals who successfully complete course work.