Health care practitioners can be a resource for referral to acupuncturists. More medical doctors, including neurologists, anesthesiologists, and specialists in physical medicine, are becoming trained in acupuncture, TCM, and other CAM therapies. In addition, national acupuncture organizations (which can be found through libraries or Web search engines) may provide referrals to acupuncturists.
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Check a practitioner's credentials.
An acupuncture practitioner who is licensed and credentialed may provide better care than one who is not. About 40 states have established training standards for acupuncture certification, but states have varied requirements for obtaining a license to practice acupuncture. Although proper credentials do not ensure competency, they do indicate that the practitioner has met certain standards to treat patients through the use of acupuncture. -
Do not rely on a diagnosis of disease by an acupuncture practitioner who does not have substantial conventional medical training.
If you have received a diagnosis from a doctor, you may wish to ask your doctor whether acupuncture might help. -
