Author: Clasina Leslie Smith#1,2, Bill Reddy#3, Charis M Wolf#4,5, Rosa N Schnyer#6,7, Korina St John#8, Lisa Conboy#4,7,9,10,11,12,13,14, Jen Stone15, Lixing Lao16,17,18
Affiliation:
1 Chicago Healing Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
2 School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL, USA.
3 Vital Point Acupuncture, Annandale, VA, USA.
4 Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
5 Middle Way Acupuncture Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
6 School of Nursing, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
7 Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR, USA.
8 Modern Medicine Woman, LLC, Palmer, AK, USA.
9 Beth Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
10 California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA.
11 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
12 YoSan University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
13 Five Branches University, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
14 American Academy of Health and Wellness, Roseville, MN, USA.
15 CTSI, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
16 Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, Vienna, VA, USA.
17 School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
18 School of Chinese Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Conference/Journal: J Pain Res
Date published: 2024 Oct 10
Other:
Volume ID: 17 , Pages: 3329-3354 , Special Notes: doi: 10.2147/JPR.S469491. , Word Count: 316
The term "acupuncture" commonly refers to a non-pharmacologic therapy that is increasingly employed by diverse segments of the population for a wide variety of complaints including pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, frozen shoulder, and other issues. The term is also used as a short-hand for the wider medical system from which the placement of needles into the skin for therapeutic benefit and related techniques evolved. Thus "acupuncture" refers both to the therapeutic technique and the therapeutic system of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (AHM). The other modalities included within AHM include a wide variety of physical and mechanical manipulations, herbal medicines, dietary recommendations, and lifestyle modifications. Clinically, acupuncture is increasingly offered in a variety of conventional medical settings such as hospitals, medical school clinics, veterans' healthcare centers, oncology facilities, and rehabilitation centers, and its safety profile is excellent overall. Barriers to further incorporation of acupuncture into biomedical sites include insurance coverage of acupuncture, education of conventional medical practitioners and other stakeholders about the utility, efficacy, and evidence base of acupuncture. Acupuncturists in the United States are skilled practitioners who are highly educated in the complex therapeutic system from which acupuncture arose and in the technical aspects of its utility as a treatment modality. The training, certification, licensure, and regulation of acupuncturists is similar to that of conventional providers such has physician's assistants, advanced practice nurses, and medical and osteopathic doctors. While clinical use and acceptance of acupuncture continues to grow, there is to date no definitive composite document explaining the utility of acupuncture in various healthcare settings, the current understanding of how acupuncture works, and the training, professional regulation, and certification of acupuncture practitioners. This article will address these topics and strive to create a reference for practitioners, administrators, legislators, insurance providers, patients and their families, and other stakeholders.
Keywords: acupuncture; herbal medicine; integrative health; integrative medicine; medical policy; traditional Chinese medicine.
PMID: 39403098 PMCID: PMC11472758 DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S469491
