Beware the Difference between Acupuncture Training and Education

May 25, 2009 - PRLog -- St. George, Utah

The practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine is receiving unprecedented publicity in this country, and acupuncture is being offered by a variety of health care practitioners of whom some are calling themselves acupuncturists."

Consequently, the general public may be confused over the qualifications of those providing this service.  

Dr. Brian N. Hardy has today issued a stark warning to patients of so-called ‘medical acupuncturists or chiropractors administering acupuncture’, urging them instead to opt for treatment under fully Licensed Acupuncture practitioners.

Dr. Hardy has received his professional degrees in both chiropractic and acupuncture.

Unlike the 4-year Licensed Acupuncturists qualification, which requires over 3,000 hours of intense study and research, ‘medical’ acupuncturists' and chiropractors doing acupuncture are ‘certified’ after only 100 - 220 hours or less of study, most of which is undertaken as home study courses without the benefit of the tutoring of experienced acupuncturists.

Dr. Brian N. Hardy said the value of the Licensed Acupuncturists qualification should not be underestimated, and patients should be aware of the potential dangers of receiving treatment from  healthcare professional’s who are not licensed acupuncturists practitioners.

“We hear horror stories on a daily basis from patients undergoing treatment from non-licensed acupuncturists', which just further underpins our belief that 100-200 hours of training simply isn’t enough.

These practices create a negative perception of acupuncture, and destroy the confidence of patients in what is truly a remarkable healing practice.”

“As a result of the lack of training of ‘medical’ acupuncturists' or chiropractors performing acupuncture,  we’ve seen a rise in recent years in the levels of bad feeling towards acupuncture, with frequent claims of painful and uncomfortable treatments which have little healing effect. As any Licensed Acupuncturist practitioner will testify, this couldn’t be further from the truth with well-executed acupuncture treatments, which can have a dramatic impact on health and wellbeing.”

The World Health Organization suggests 100-200 hours of study should serve as qualification for research into acupuncture alone, recommending a minimum further 1,500 hours of study prior to practicing as an acupuncturist.

The Licensed Acupuncturist qualification, in contrast to the home-study route, offers 3,000 hours of structured study over the course of a number of years, the equivalent of a Masters degree, to produce knowledgeable safe and professional acupuncture practitioners.

Dr. Brian N. Hardy is dedicated to spreading the word about the dangers of unlicensed acupuncture practitioners.

For guidance in choosing a Licensed Acupuncturist, make sure the professional who is administering acupuncture is found on the following website:
http://www.nccaom.org/

For more information on acupuncture, please visit:      
http://www.drhardy.org

Differences in Acupuncture Education:
http://drhardy.org/Differences-in-Education.html

Dr Hardy’s Education:
http://drhardy.org/Dr.-Hardy's-Education.html

Medical Acupuncture Education:
http://drhardy.org/Medical-Acupuncture-Education.html

Chiropractors Acupuncture Education:
http://drhardy.org/Medical-Acupuncture-Education.html

Contact:

Dr. Brian N. Hardy
Chiropractic Physician
Licensed Acupuncturist

E-Mail: instituteofalternativemedicine@gmail.com
Website: http://www.drhardy.org

For more information:
301 North 200 East
St. George, Utah
435-688-8830

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Dr. Brian N. Hardy is the leading expert in alternative medicine in the St. George and Southern Utah area.
If you are looking for chiropractic, acupuncture, functional medicine, nutrition, spinal decompression, integrative medicine and additional services to improve the quality of your health and lifestyle. Give us a call today: (435) 688-8830