Acupuncture in California Fact Sheet
* Acupuncturists in
California are required to complete over 3000 hours of tutorial education and supervised
clinical training in U.S. Department of Education accredited schools for
acupuncture. * An Acupuncturist
is known as a Licensed Acupuncturist and has the designation of L.Ac.
* Acupuncturists are required to take many of the Life Science and Bio-medical prerequistes for enrollment that Allopathic Medical Schools require for enrollment such as Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Chemistry. * In California, Acupuncturists undergo a supervised internship lasting over three years. The intern process is supervised by trained Licensed Acupuncturists (L.Ac.) with at least five years of clinical training. * Acupuncture is a "Primary Care" medical profession regulated by the Acupuncture Board of California. * Acupuncturists are “Physicians” under the California Workers Compensation Labor Code regulations. * Acupuncture has been providing relief to people for over 3,500 years. * The World Health Organization lists over 100 diseases and symptoms which Acupuncture has been found to provide therapeutic effects for patients. * According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year. * In 1997, acupuncture needles were reclassified from "experimental" to "medical device" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Institutes of Health released a consensus statement in the same year endorsing acupuncture for the treatment of a variety of conditions such as post-operative pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome. |