When performed by a properly trained clinician, acupuncture is a safe, effective, and holistic form of care. Your experience with acupuncture may vary depending on the provider you choose. Finding a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac) will ensure your needs are met with the highest level of training and educational standards. Licensed Acupuncturists may be generalists or have areas of specialty.  It is reasonable to ask about each provider’s training and if they have a particular area of focus in their practice.  Licensed Acupuncturists are the only professionals who have completed nationally accredited training and have shown competency via nationally certified board examinations specific to acupuncture.

ACAOM Accredited School

The first step toward becoming a trained and licensed acupuncturist is graduation from an accredited school. Sanctioned by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) ensures that qualifying programs meet the educational standards established by Congress The degree program of choice often includes options for master’s level and doctorate level degrees. The foundation of the curriculum is centered on traditional and modern (biomedical) applications of acupuncture diagnostic theory.

Master’s Degree

Within the United States, there are rigorous training standards to become a licensed acupuncturist. Most states require a three to five-year master’s degree from an accredited acupuncture school and passage of standardized board exams before licensure. A master’s may be attained in acupuncture or Oriental medicine.   A master’s degree in Oriental medicine highlights practitioners who have completed additional training and course work in Chinese herbal medicine, above and beyond the standard acupuncture course curriculum. After passage of board examinations, acupuncturists are entitled to identify themselves as a Dipl. Ac. (Diplomate of Acupuncture) or Dipl. O.M. (Diplomate of Oriental Medicine) by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

 NCCAOM Diplomate Standing

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) provides national board certification for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine practitioners. To be eligible to take the NCCAOM exams, an applicant must have successfully completed a formal education in acupuncture or Oriental medicine through an accredited school. 

Earning certification from the NCCAOM represents a significant professional achievement. NCCAOM certification makes an important statement about professional competence that is recognized by regulatory bodies, third-party payers, the profession, and the public.

Types of NCCAOM Certifications

1. Acupuncture

• Three-year master’s program
• 1,905 hours/105 credits of didactic and clinical education.

2. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

• Four-year master’s program in Oriental medicine.
• 2,625 hours/146 credits of didactic and clinic coursework in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine

3. Certification in Chinese Herbology

• Four-year master’s program in Oriental medicine OR a master’s in acupuncture and a post-graduate Chinese Herbal Certificate recognized by ACAOM
• 450 hours of didactic instruction in herbs
• 210 hours of herbal clinical training

Licensing

Each state has its own licensing and educational requirements to practice as an acupuncturist. Currently, 46 states plus the District of Columbia, require NCCAOM certification as a prerequisite for licensure. Successful completion of the Clean Needle Technique course and examination administered by the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is also needed. Maintenance of an active license requires ongoing professional development activities (PDAs) or continuing education units (CEUs) towards renewal.

Continuing Education and Specialties

In addition to maintaining licensing requirements, many practitioners utilize continuing education to advance their studies in a specialized area. This may be through weekend seminars or full certificate programs. These programs include pediatrics, fertility, dermatology, sports medicine, and more.

When seeking out a licensed acupuncturist with expertise in a particular field, inquire about their credentials, training, and experience in the area. Often, you will find practitioners with a history of patient testimonials and a track record of successful outcomes.

Advanced Studies: Doctorate Degrees

The Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) is a postgraduate degree and provides acupuncturists specialization within a particular field. The DAOM entails advanced classes, clinical training, and research. It also prepares graduates for practice in integrative settings, such as hospitals, as well as academia. It is the highest level of training offered and the terminal degree in the field. Currently, there are eleven accredited schools nationwide offering this level of training.

Following other allied health professions, such as physical therapy and pharmacy, several institutions have begun to offer an entry level or first professional doctoral degree: the Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM). In addition to the aforementioned master’s degree curriculum, this program entails coursework that provides supplementary skills for practice in multidisciplinary settings and referral networks that support collaborative approaches to health care.

Acupuncture is a holistic treatment which incorporates the use of acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion, physical therapies, dietary and lifestyle guidance to restore balance to the body.  It is not uncommon to incorporate acupuncture in conjunction with other forms of care. This may help to speed healing and rehabilitation after a health crisis, pain syndrome, or emotional trauma.

Acupuncture is a safe, effective and relaxing treatment for a variety of health conditions. The number of treatments you will need depends on your condition and treatment plan. While working to decrease your symptoms, acupuncture also frequently produces a feeling of well-being and deep relaxation.

Your care is based on a medical diagnosis and a treatment plan developed during your initial clinical consultation. The assessment is based on medical history, presentation and onset of symptoms, as well as pulse and tongue diagnostics. After a diagnosis is made, the most appropriate and effective treatment plan will be chosen based on the diagnosis of a pattern or set of patterns. For example, five people might see an acupuncture practitioner all complaining of migraine headaches, however, each patient may be diagnosed with a completely different Chinese medical pattern. This pattern will be based on their main complaint and unique symptomatology.

Acupuncture enjoys a high level of evidence for a variety of conditions. Research into acupuncture as a medical treatment has grown exponentially in the past 20 years, increasing at twice the rate of research over other methods of care in biomedicine.

Over this period, there have been over 13,000 studies conducted in 60 countries, including hundreds of meta-analyses summarizing the results of thousands of human and animal studies. Acupuncture is recognized by medical experts as a viable intervention for a spectrum of conditions and is one of the most widely recommended treatments in the current landscape of medicine.

Acupuncture is a recognized form of therapy that has its origins in ancient Chinese medicine. Current application of acupuncture clinically is performed using both historic understandings of its mechanisms and indications, and from modern, biomedical perspectives. From the biomedical viewpoint, acupuncture has been shown to have numerous mechanisms of action. Research into further mechanisms is on-going, but the neural pathways from the periphery, through the spinal cord, and to pain perception centers have been mapped and are thought to play a foundational role in acupuncture’s pain modulating effects. Acupuncture is also well known to cause the release of numerous chemical mediators of pain such as endogenous opioids, ATP and adenosine, GABA, and substance P, and to affect the brain’s sensitivity to opioids.

When viewed from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) paradigm, acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into acupoints to manipulate the functions of the body. It has been observed over the millennia that certain points on the body have identified functions, and different combinations of points can affect the body in specific ways. Classical Chinese medicine is based in the observation of nature, and how humans interact with and are affected by natural forces. The early Chinese scholars studied how the body moved and functioned under numerous sets of conditions. They learned to apply acupuncture to help the body return to balance when, through natural influences or problematic dietary or lifestyle choices, individuals developed “disharmonies” or illnesses. Practitioners trained to apply acupuncture from the classical perspective utilize this ancient knowledge in the modern setting. They identify patterns of imbalance and are trained in the application of acupuncture as one tool in restoring health and harmony.

It is important to recognize that the system of medicine in which acupuncture developed is highly structured and complex. It is also elegant, and its genius is often missed in mainstream criticisms; those criticisms generally put forth by individuals who have not taken the time to study the profound body of material that has evolved over time. Chinese medicine looks at the body from the viewpoint of physiologic systems rather than individual parts, and so its treatments aim to balance complex sets of functions and restore health at the root of illness,

rather than by fixing a single, broken piece. Licensed Acupuncturists are trained in this way of organizing human physiology, and have learned full treatment plans for restoring health.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/451

An applicant for licensure as an acupuncturist in Wisconsin shall file an application(https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Health/fm1715.pdf) with the WI DSPS (Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/Home.aspx) that includes the following:

1. Evidence of successful completion of clean needle technique (CNT) course sent directly to the Department from Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM).
2. Evidence of successful completion of course of study and residency, the equivalent of at least two (2) consecutive years of full-time education and clinical work in Oriental diagnostic and therapeutic theories and practices at a school accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for schools, and colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). This must include dates attended and number of hours completed in program. Transcripts must be sent directly to the Department from the school.
3. Evidence of successful completion of NCCAOM examination in acupuncture, with a passing score, determined by NCCAOM, sent directly to the DSPS from NCCAOM.

If the applicant has ever been licensed as an acupuncturist in another state, he/she shall also submit the following document(s):

1. Verification of Certification (active or inactive) as an acupuncturist in other state or territory, sent directly to the Department from state board(s). (If applicable)
2. A copy of the current rules and statutes of state or territory in which credentialed. (Reciprocal Applicants only)
3. Affidavit of Active Acupuncture Practice (Form #2773 – https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Health/fm2773.pdf ). (Reciprocal or Re-Registration applicants only)

All documents shall be submitted to the DSPS in English.

Wisconsin Act 210 (effective June 1, 2012)

This Act extends the license of a service member if the license expires while they are on active duty from 90 days to 180 days from the date of discharge. The same applies to a spouse of a service member if the spouse does not practice under their license while the service member is on active duty and does not practice because the service member is on active duty.

This Act repeals a provision of prior law that required a service member to meet all of the requirements for license extension or renewal, except for continuing education requirements, in order to have the license extended.

Service members and spouses may request extensions of licenses beyond 180 days from discharge and may request a waiver or extension of time to complete continuing education requirements due to hardship. Please view Active Duty/Discharge Renewal Extension Form #R210 (https://dsps.wi.gov/Credentialing/Renewal/FmR210.pdf) for further information.

To renew online, simply pay the renewal fee by clicking here (https://online.drl.wi.gov/UserLogin.aspx). Currently, Licensed Acupuncturists in WI are on a bi-annually renewal term (charged every consecutive odd year / two years)

Reg Type: 55

Profession/Entity: Acupuncturist

Renewal Date: June 30 of every odd year

Renewal Fee: $75/yr

With Late Fee: $100/yr

The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) is responsible for ensuring the safe and competent practice of licensed professionals in Wisconsin. The department also administers and enforces laws to assure safe and sanitary conditions in public and private buildings. It provides administrative services to the state occupational regulatory authorities responsible for regulation of occupations and offers policy assistance in such areas as evaluating and establishing new professional licensing programs, creating routine procedures for legal proceedings, and adjusting policies in response to public needs.

DSPS licenses and regulates more than 200 different types of credentials. The agency also provides centralized administrative services to nearly 100 boards, councils, and advisory committees. The boards, councils, and advisory committees have varying levels of responsibility and professional oversight based on statutory provisions.

The Department is organized into five divisions and the Office of the Secretary. The divisions are Industry Services, Legal Services and Compliance, Management Services, Policy Development, and Professional Credential Processing. Information on each division can be viewed by clicking on each of the titles.

Recommended reading: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/Acupuncturist/Default.aspx