Most have at least heard of Acupuncture and its role in pain relief and a growing number of individuals around the world have experienced it firsthand. While it is an Eastern culture tradition dating back thousands of years, it is becoming more and more common to find Doctors, Chiropractors, and even therapists becoming certified to practice this ancient technique. The key word in the paragraph above is CERTIFIED. What does it mean to be certified? There are LICENSED acupuncturists and there are CERTIFIED ones...is there a difference? You can bet there is and it is one that anyone who is considering acupuncture treatments should be aware of. The fact is, although there is quite a bit of evidence related to the effectiveness of acupuncture in helping to relieve pain, and it is a technique that has been practiced for thousands of years (longer than just about every other medical practice still in existence today), it is still relatively unknown by much of the Western world, at least as far as personal experience is concerned. Because of this, it is not uncommon to see that the procedure itself is not regarded in the same manner as procedures performed by Doctors and Hospitals. Instead, it is often viewed as something much more mystical than medical and because of this, the rigorous standards that apply to Western medical procedures don't apply. For instance, for someone to legally perform acupuncture in the United States, all that is required is an acupuncture certification. The process for achieving this certification is quite a bit less than what is required for one to become a licensed acupuncturist. In the West, it takes years and years of schooling to become a doctor and as such, these medical experts usually know a great deal about the human body and how to treat it. Would you go to a doctor who only practices because he or she got a CERTIFICATE from a training class? I hope you answered no... Acupuncture can be extremely effective if performed correctly, but like all medical procedures, if performed incorrectly, the results can be harmful or even fatal. Acupuncture can affect key areas of your body including your heart, various organs, and even your breathing patterns. While statistically acupuncture procedures are extremely safe, a growing number of injuries are being reported because of procedures performed by those who are certified versus those that are licensed. Certainly a doctor or chiropractor could gain financially by adding acupuncture to their lists of services, but if they do so only after having taken a class and received a certificate, what cost will there be to YOU and your health? The bottom line is, if you want to experience pain relief through acupuncture, or if you have before, it simply makes good sense to visit someone who has the training and knowledge to help you AND keep you as safe as possible. Licensed acupuncturists receive an incredible amount of training and are truly in the best position to treat patients with the best care possible. If the practice of acupuncture certification is to continue, what is stopping the proliferation of such certificates in other types of medicine? Perhaps you would like to get your appendix taken out by someone who went to a 10 session class on it and has knife in hand and a paper that says CERTIFIED...? Not me...not by a long shot...
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