What is 'Medical Acupuncture'?
Medical Acupuncture vs. Licensed Acupuncture: What’s the Difference?
Not all acupuncture is the same—and understanding the difference can impact your results.
What Is Medical Acupuncture?
Medical Acupuncture is performed by a licensed healthcare professional, such as an M.D. (Medical Doctor) or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy). In some states, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Veterinarians, and even Dentists are allowed to offer acupuncture as well.
However, most Medical Acupuncture programs are designed to be short and convenient. Some require as little as 100 hours of training.
Let’s put that into perspective:
Would you feel comfortable receiving acupuncture from someone with just 100 hours of instruction?
What Is a Licensed Acupuncturist?
A Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) completes over 3,000 hours of specialized training, including:
- Anatomy, physiology, and pathology
- Chinese medical theory and diagnosis
- Acupuncture technique
- Herbal medicine
- Hundreds of hours of supervised clinical practice
Licensed Acupuncturists are trained to treat the whole person, not just symptoms. Their approach is deeply individualized, drawing from thousands of years of tradition and clinical wisdom.
Why Training Hours Matter
Acupuncture is more than just placing needles at pre-determined points. Each patient is unique. What works for one person may not work for another.
While Medical Acupuncture may offer relief—especially for pain—Licensed Acupuncturists are trained to address a wider range of conditions using the full scope of Chinese Medicine, including herbal prescriptions, lifestyle guidance, and other advanced techniques.
An Important Exception
There is one exception to consider:
If a medical professional has graduated from a
Classical Five Element Acupuncture (Worsley) school, they may be well-qualified. These programs often require over 1,000 hours of training and include extensive clinical experience in a complete acupuncture system.
How to Choose a Qualified Practitioner
When considering acupuncture treatment, ask your provider these questions:
- Where did you receive your acupuncture training?
- How many hours of training did you complete?
- Are you licensed as an acupuncturist in your state?
If your provider holds both a medical license and a Licensed Acupuncturist credential (L.Ac.), they’ve taken the time to master both systems of care.
Tried Acupuncture and It Didn’t Work?
If you’ve had Medical Acupuncture and didn’t get the results you hoped for, don’t give up on acupuncture altogether. It may simply be that your provider wasn’t fully trained in the complete system of Chinese Medicine.
Consider seeing a Licensed Acupuncturist to experience the full potential of this powerful healing system.
Contact us for a free initial consultation to find out more about this wonderful system and how it might help you.
