Tag: Los Angeles

How much do acupuncturists make is one of the first thoughts that come to mind when considering acupuncture as a profession. How much an acupuncturist makes today is substantially more than when people first started practicing in this field. Chinese acupuncture is now a widely accepted natural treatment. Many medical doctors, both conventional and alternative, including naturopaths, have incorporated it into their own practices and clinics.

The amount you make as an acupuncturist will first depend on whether you plan to work for yourself by opening your own office or clinic or whether you plan to work under someone else such as a doctor or specialist. If working for someone else you’ll be paid a salary and won’t have the overhead you’ll have if you set up your practice in your own space. Now you can keep expenses down if you’re sharing space with someone else or sub-letting space or find other ways to reduce the costs. In that case you may make more than if you were to work for someone else for a salary.

If you work for someone else you can plan to make anywhere from $44,000 to $67,000 per year depending on your experience. And certainly you would probably want to work for someone else for awhile after you’ve received your education and necessary licenses, if required in your state, just to get some hands-on experience and learn how the practice is run. Other factors depend on the type of practice you would be working in, how much education you have and of course how long you’ve been working as an acupuncturist if you’re not a new graduate.

Parts of the country can vary quite a bit in the salary range. For example in Houston, Texas you may make as little as $34,000 but in Los Angeles, California $63,000 per year. Florida, Massachusetts and Oregon fall in the mid-range and New York on the higher end just below California.

So it’ll depend a lot on where you plan to practice. You may want to call around and find out what alternative and conventional clinics are paying in terms of salary. With the right education you should have no problem getting a job and making acupuncture your career.

You want to make sure and pick an accredited acupuncture school because you may not be able to get a job if you’ve received your education from a school that isn’t accredited. So make sure you choose an accredited school if you plan to go.

So you can see that how much an acupuncturist makes is dependent on several factors. Also know there is plenty of money available, both federal and otherwise, to go to school. Plus there is plenty of money available for online courses as well. So make sure to check this out before you proceed to save yourself a lot of money. Grants and scholarships are available also. You may be able to get at least part of your education free.

Squeamish about needles?

What if those needles could heal safely and . . . painlessly? You may have heard about acupuncture, a form of alternative medicine developed in China that uses very fine needles to resolve health problems. But you may not have heard how effective and well-researched acupuncture is!

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, much longer than conventional medicine. Acupuncture is safe and surprisingly painless. Thousands of studies demonstrate its efficacy. And furthermore – unlike many conventional medical approaches – acupuncture has no side effects.

Acupuncture continues to provide incredible results for people suffering from a range of health problems. Research has shown acupuncture can:

Treat inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and Crohn’s disease. Prevent death from infections like sepsis that kills 25,000 people each year.[1] Stop migraines. [2] Calm dental patients.[3] Help relieve hot flashes.[4]

This list continues to grow as more scientists test acupuncture’s traditional applications and get solid results. In 2010, the British government’s National Institute For Health And Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended it as a course of treatment for many forms of lower back pain. A study published around the same time demonstrated it worked better than conventional treatment for chronic lower back pain. [5]

Even more impressively, for over four decades, Chinese medical teams have combined acupuncture with lower doses of drugs to provide anesthesia for open heart surgery. A recent review of this startling use of acupuncture found the patients who used it in combination with low doses of drugs had quicker recoveries with less chance of infection than patients who used only drugs.[6]

The Way Acupuncture Works

While a growing body of research shows acupuncture is effective in treating health problems, western scientists are still just learning how it works.

Brain scans have shown acupuncture turns off certain areas of the brain linked to pain. [7] Acupuncture also seems to directly impact the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which governs our stress response and much of our hormonal activity. [8]

For centuries, eastern practitioners have described acupuncture’s mechanism effectively using technical terms rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM, acupuncture helps unblock and redirect the flow of -qi-, or life energy, in the body. Qi is the energy that allows our body to work. Qi allows us to move our legs, take a breath and digest our food. By stimulating both the central and peripheral nervous system in a strategic way, acupuncture changes the flow of energy in your body and consequently changes your state of health.

How To Find A Qualified Acupuncturist

Like all forms of healthcare, acupuncture works most reliably if practiced by a trained professional. A properly trained acupuncturist will work with you to ensure any treatment they prescribe does not interfere negatively with other medical treatments you’re currently undergoing. In the United States, they also use sterile, single-use needles. Unfortunately, because acupuncture is still so new in the west, there is no mandatory national accrediting agency. Licensing laws vary from state to state. California, for instance, has its own strict licensing exam and requirements. And California does not accept any national certifications, exams etc.

Be sure to check with your state regulations on acupuncture. You can then look up any licensed acupuncturist online and verify they meet your local requirements. The most well-known accrediting agency is the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). NCCAOM is used by many states as their accrediting agency. A growing number of MD’s and DO’s are also becoming trained in acupuncture under a special program for conventional doctors administered by UCLA. You can find these practitioners through the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA). However, be aware that while these MD’s are fully credentialed to practice western medicine, the training offered by the AAMA is minimal. Some of the trainings are short weekend courses. In general, its trainings are not adequate for competent diagnosis and treatment according to eastern medicine.

Ultimately, while you can start the search for a well-qualified practitioner by looking into local licensing, you’ll have to use your own smarts as well. Ask questions. Find out how long the acupuncturist has been practicing. Ask for references and call them. Find out where the practitioner has studied.

Take your time to find a practitioner who understands the art and science of acupuncture. So that when you turn to using this alternative form of medicine, you can fully enjoy the health benefits it brings.

Sources:

[1] Torres-Rosas R et al. Dopamine mediates vagal modulation of the immune system by electroacupuncture. Nature Medicine, 2014. [2] Collins S. Acupuncture May Be Effective For Migraines. Web MD. Jan 11, 2012. [3] Karst M et al. Auricular acupuncture for dental anxiety: a randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2007 Feb;104(2):295-300. [4] Chiu H-Y et al. Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women on natural menopause. Menopause, 2014. [5] Asghar et al. Acupuncture needling sensation: The neural correlates of deqi using fMRI. Brain Research, 2010. [6] Zhou J et al. Acupuncture anesthesia for open heart surgery in contemporary China. International Journal of Cardiology; 150(1), 2011. 12-16 [7] Asghar et al. Acupuncture needling sensation: The neural correlates of deqi using fMRI. Brain Research, 2010. [8] Eshkevari L et al. Acupuncture Blocks Cold Stress-Induced Increase in Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Rat. Journal of Endocrinology, 2013.

Abigail S. Allred, L.Ac., M.S.O.M.

Abigail S. Allred earned her Master of Science in Oriental Medicine from Samra University in Los Angeles, California, and is a licensed acupuncturist. Abigail was selected to complete an internship at the Samra Acupuncture Spinal Center, and was also chosen to participate at the Minority AIDS Project located in downtown Los Angeles. Abigail traveled to Beijing, China, in 2009, where she received intense hospital training and attended advanced acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine colloquiums. Abigail is dedicated to providing quality, individual, holistic care through education and support. She is also an esteemed member of the Sun Chlorella Advisory Board.

Want to learn more about this safe, natural and effective form of alternative medicine? Check out this video featuring Dr. Allred as she discusses how acupuncture works. View the video at https://www.sunchlorellausa.com/video-library/what-acupuncture. Discover how this powerful alternative medicine can help you fix your health problems painlessly and effectively. For special offers, news and updates, follow us on Twitter at @sunchlorellausa or ‘Like’ us on Facebook.