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Acupuncturist

An acupuncturist is a trained alternative health practitioner that uses acupuncture as a healing modality. Acupuncture, which is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, involves the insertion of thin needles at specific points on the body that correlate with the flow of energy through the body. The career outlook for an acupuncturist is good. They make on average $30-$35 thousand a year.

According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, pain and illness are a result of a disruption in the flow of this energy. Acupuncture is gaining popularity as an adjunct to western medicine. Though its effects aren't fully understood, western clinical studies do show that acupuncture is effective in treating certain maladies, especially pain-related conditions.

Acupuncture is a green field of alternative medicine that benefits patients by providing gentle intervention with virtually no unwanted side effects. Acupuncture is also beneficial to the environment, because it provides patients with alternatives to medications that may be excreted into the environment, and to expensive and energy consuming medical treatments.

Acupuncture is a field that is well suited for those with an interest in alternative medicine who enjoy hands-on patient contact. Acupuncturists may work for a health care system or have a practice of their own, and approaches to practice may vary considerably. Some acupuncturists focus on evidence-based practice, and others approach the practice philosophically from the point of view of traditional Chinese medicine. An acupuncturist should enjoy learning about how the human body works, understanding the course of certain illnesses, and working one-on-one to get to the bottom of patients' concerns.

In most states, acupuncturists must go through a licensing process and pass an exam to earn the title of Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.). A master's degree is the most common training required to become an acupuncturist, though not all acupuncture schools require the completion of a bachelor's degree for admission. Those that do not require a bachelor's degree are likely to require prerequisite courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology, and related subjects. Many acupuncture practitioners also study Chinese herbology or other forms of alternative medicine as an adjunct to their training in acupuncture techniques.