Growing Popularity of Acupuncture Creates Exciting Job Opportunities

The American health care system includes some of the most talented and amazing practitioners in the world. They transplant hearts, administer treatments that cause cancerous tumors to disappear, reattach limbs and perform intricate surgeries with unmatched precision.
Despite the technology and superior training of medical professionals, however, there are instances when modern medicine does not produce the hoped-for results. When this happens, and patients are left with chronic pain or unresolved diseases or injuries, many people decide to turn to alternative medicine techniques for help. Sometimes people even turn to alternative medicine first for certain complaints or general well-being.
Traditionally, alternative medicine is used in place of conventional--sometimes called Western--techniques. However, in many cases it can also be used alongside them, which would technically make it complementary medicine. Alternative or complementary medicine typically involves the use of natural products such as vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, mind-body medicine and treatments such as massage and movement therapies.
The 2007 National Health Interview Survey revealed that approximately 38 percent of Americans had utilized alternative/complementary medicine at some point. And it seems to be earning more respect in the mainstream health care market as well. In November, researchers presented evidence to the Radiological Society of North America regarding the benefits of acupuncture on the perception and tolerance of pain.
The power of acupuncture
Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. It is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) as a group of procedures that involve the stimulation of specific points on the body by using techniques such as sticking the skin with needles and maneuvering them by hand or with electrical impulses. Its goal is to aid the yin-yang balance of the body and the flow of qi, the life process or stream of energy that sustains living beings.
Researchers were able to see the effect of acupuncture on the brain while patients experienced pain by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on sections of patients' brains. The study revealed that "activation of brain areas involved in pain perception was significantly reduced or modulated under acupuncture," according to lead researcher Dr. Nina Theysohn of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology at University Hospital in Essen, Germany.
"Until now, the role of acupuncture in the perception and processing of pain has been controversial," said Theysohn. "Functional MRI gives us the opportunity to directly observe areas of the brain activated during pain perception and see the variances that occur with acupuncture."
On-campus and online degrees in acupuncture
The Institute of Medicine reports that U.S. patients are making more and more visits to complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, incurring annual out-of-pocket costs upwards of $27 billion. If you are interested in building a career in this growing field, which offers opportunities for establishing a flexible work schedule in a variety of rewarding environments including private practice, multidisciplinary clinics or hospitals, there are several factors to keep in mind.

• The length of time to complete an education program to become an acupuncturist is usually three years. This can include online degree programs or traditional campus-based courses. In general, a bachelor's degree is required for admission into an acupuncture/Oriental medicine practitioner program.
• More than 50 colleges throughout the U.S. offer graduate training in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Approximately 2,000 students graduate from these programs each year. Doctoral programs are also offered at many institutions.
• The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) offers the only recognized certification for qualified practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. NCCAOM certification is required by the majority of states that license acupuncture practitioners. Although licensure is not required in all states, most employers favor candidates with this certification as it indicates acceptance of standards of practice.

Even skeptics are facing increasing evidence that acupuncture works. With the growing popularity of alternative medicine among patients, acupuncture is a promising career choice for the future.

Lisa Tortorello has been a director of public relations and marketing within a large East Coast health care system for more than 11 years. She has an associate degree in liberal arts and a bachelor's degree in public communication.