Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is acupuncture?
2. How does acupuncture work?
3. What does acupuncture treat?
4. What training and credentials do acupuncturists have

Acupuncture is one of five branches of traditional Chinese medicine. The other branches include nutritional guidance, Tui na (a form of Chinese Medical Massage), exercise (Qi Gong and Tai Ji), and herbal therapy. In New York Acupuncture is defined in the Education Law as:

[t]he treating, by means of mechanical, thermal or electrical stimulation effected by the insertion of needles or by the application of heat, pressure or electrical stimulation at a point or combination of points on the surface of the body predetermined on the basis of the theory of the physiological interrelationship of body organs with an associated point or combination of points for diseases, disorders and dysfunctions of the body for the purpose of achieving a therapeutic or prophylactic effect.

NYSEducation Law, § 160.

From the Chinese Medical perspective, acupuncture is the manipulation of the body's energy through the insertion of fine needles at specified points on the body with the goal of helping the body to heal and strengthen. This energy is referred to as Qi (pronounced Chee). When illness occurs it is an external manifestation of weak or disordered Qi. Acupuncture helps to re-order and strengthen the Qi and thereby eliminate the underlying condition and the symptoms.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles at specific points on the body. The selection of the points depends on the particular condition of the patient and the diagnosis given by the practitioner. Traditionally, acupuncture is understood to work through the manipulation of Qi to effect a particular result.

Illness is thought to be the result of a disorder of essential body substances of Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, Yin and Yang. To much or too little of these substances will result in an imbalance in the function of the body's systems and over time those imbalances will manifest in a collection of symptoms associated with a particular illness. Using acupuncture, a practitioner is able to aid the patient in either building up more of these substances or more effectively dispersing a build-up of these substances, thereby restoring balance to the body.

There are a number of books written for the layman on acupuncture and oriental medical theory. Two of our favorites are:

1. Grasping the Wind by Andrew Ellis, Nigel Wiseman and Ken Boss. [view description].
2. TheWeb That Has No Weaver by Ted Kaptchuck. [view description].

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its findings regarding acupuncture in a publication titled "Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials." It states,

"[G]enerally speaking, acupuncture treatment is safe if performed properly by a well trained practitioner. Unlike many drugs, it is non-toxic, and adverse reactions are minimal... acupuncture is comparable with morphine preparations in its effectiveness against chronic pain, but without the adverse effects of morphine, such as dependency. It notes there are numerous conditions for which acupuncture has been shown to be effective."

Those conditions include:

Similarly, the New York State Board of Acupuncture (the independent Board which regulates the practice of acupuncture in NYS) has identified many conditions that it notes may respond to acupuncture. These include conditions relating to:

• Neurological system
• Musculo-skeletal system
• Respiratory system
• Gynecological and reproductive system
• Digestive system
• Gento-urinary system

The Board also states that acupuncture may help with:

• Acute and chronic pain
• Maintaining emotional balance
• Stress reduction and detoxification

New York State Department of Education Office of the Professions -
Acupuncture Consumer Brochure [link]

All acupuncturists at City Acupuncture of New York are Licensed (L.Ac) and hold Masters' Degrees in Traditional Oriental Medicine. Currently, in NYS Licensed Acupuncturists are required to undertake a course of study involving 4,050 hours of classroom instruction, supervised clinical experience, and out of classroom or out of clinic study assignments. This must be done at an institution with a program registered and approved by the NYS Board of Regents.

In addition, to obtain a license, an NYS acupuncturist must successfully complete an examination of the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The individual may then receive a License to Practice Acupuncture in the State Of New York. He or she will be designated L.Ac. The initial license is good for a period of 3 years. Thereafter, the licensed must be renewed every three years.

You can determine if a person is currently licensed by checking the NYSDepartment of Education Online License Verifications.

There are other designations in NYS that enable a person to practice acupuncture. These relate to medical doctors, dentists and individuals who practice acupuncture for the treatment of alcoholism, substance dependence or chemical dependency (detox pratitioners).

M.D.s and Dentists are permitted to practice acupuncture after having completed 200 hours of study and 100 hours of supervised clinical experience. Detox practitioners have training provided by a hospital or other institution determined to have adequate resources and may only provide treatment in a hospital or clinical program and the practice must be limited to the treatment of alcoholism, substance dependence or chemical dependency.