Do you know the difference between a licensed acupuncture physician and a Certified Acupuncture Physician? No? Don’t feel like a fool. Most people don’t.

A license in acupuncture is reserved for those who have graduated from an ACAOM accredited school for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and have passed the NCCAOM board examinations, as well as the CCAOM Clean Needle Techniques exam along with other requirements. The license is given through the state the acupuncturist is in and the requirements are rigorous. A licensed acupuncture physician has around 3000 hrs of school and training in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as Western Medicine, as has normally seen around 350 patients during their clinical internship.

A certification in acupuncture is received by other healthcare practitioners such as MDs, Chiropractors, and DOs who can have as little as 100 hrs of training with some of the classes being available online. The American Board of Medical Acupuncture requires 300 hrs of training, 200 in class and 100 clinical. This equates to 1/10 the training that your licensed acupuncturist has. Certification is not a license regulated by the state, but by an independent certifying body.

While most treatments by physicians who receive their Acupuncture Certifications should be safe, they will not be as effective. Acupuncture is a healing science as well as art that requires instincts developed by devoted practice to acupuncture alone. At Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic our physicians are licensed by the State of Florida and Board Certified by the NCCAOM. We are here to help you with your healthcare needs. Call us to schedule your no-cost consultation and begin feeling better today.

Jamie Catlett is an acupuncturist in Jacksonville, FL and the founder of Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic. She specializes in alternative pain management therapies and helping women get pregnant with acupuncture fertility treatments.

Jamie Catlett – who has written 7 posts on Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic Blog.

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