What are the Different Styles of Acupuncture?
Figuring out what Acupuncture is and what it can do for you can be confusing enough for the average person, but then figuring out what type or style of Acupuncture and what type of practitioner to go to can add confusion to that. So who or what style to choose?
Most Acupuncturists (you will typically see the designation of L.Ac after their name) in the United States practice Acupuncture that has come from China. Acupuncture has been present in the United States dating back to the 1800's, but began to be more widely known in the United States starting in 1972, when a journalist traveling with Richard Nixon received acupuncture as part of his treatment for an appendectomy in a Chinese hospital. After this experience the journalist wrote a story for the New York Times about how effective the therapy was.
Most of the Acupuncture schools in the United States teach Acupuncture that has come from material that has been brought over to the West from our relationship with China. TCM style acupuncture (Chinese Medical Acupuncture) is taught in three to four year schools where students learn not only about Acupuncture but also about Western biomedical treatments, diseases, pharmacology, and in most cases, herbal medicine. There is a two to three year clinical rotation that is either done…