Texas Acupuncture Warning

Did you know that if you are a Chiropractor in Texas you can practice acupuncture with just 100 hours of training? As unbelievable as it may seem this is true.
To put this in perspective, to qualify for the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) which is accepted as the main certifying agency in most states you need almost 3,000 hours training from a formal education program that is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).

So, do people in Texas seeking acupuncture treatment know this? They should. Chiropractors in Texas who portray themselves as trained acupuncturists are less than forthright. They have organizations they belong to but as far as I can tell they certify themselves.
Think about 100 hours of training. That's not much in any field, much less medicine. For comparison, in a typical Oriental Medical College that will produce a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), a first year student will take 165 hours a semester and they won't even begin to touch a needle much less claim to know acupuncture.

My advice: If you live in Texas and seek acupuncture go to an acupuncturist with the credentials of "L.Ac." (Licensed Acupuncturist) These people have extensive and proper training and will be much more capable of treating you as a professional - and they won't have studied acupuncture by correspondence course either.

For more reading see: AAOM challenges 300-Hour "Chiropractice Acupucnture" Program.