There are a variety of approaches to diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that incorporates medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, and France. " (2002)
The American Medical Association additionally reports: "Acupuncture has been used by millions of American patients and performed by over 5,000 U.S. physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners for relief or prevention of pain and for a variety of health conditions. After reviewing the existing body of knowledge, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassified acupuncture needles from the category of "experimental medical devices" in 1996 and now regulates them just as it does other devices, such as surgical scalpels and hypodermic syringes, under good manufacturing practices and single-use standards of sterility." (2002) Stated in conclusion by the American Medical Association relating to acupuncture is: "In addition to a positive clinical-therapeutic outcome, reported benefits to patients include avoidance of toxic side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, accelerated healing process, improved immunity, stress reduction, neuroendocrine balancing, and a greater sense of well being." (2002)
It is reported in the work of Dower (2003) that some individuals see acupuncturists "as their primary health care providers; others see them for selected health concerns or by referral from and in conjunction with care from another health care practitioner." Various conditions are listed by the World Health Organization as being treatable through acupuncture including respiratory and bronchopulmonary diseases and orthopedic, gastrointestinal and neurologic disorders." (Dower, 2003) Other conditions that California Acupuncturists utilize acupuncture treatment for include "adult post-operative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting...rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma where acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program." (Dower, 2003)
Currently there are reported to be approximately 6,300 acupuncturists in the state of California who are licensed by the California Board of Acupuncture. Approximately 88% of these practice in urban settings and it is shown by licensure data that 86% of the state's acupuncturists are located in the largest 13 urban counties of California. Acupuncturists in the state of California are "trained in acupuncture and oriental medicine as well as western medicine...[and are required to complete] "...a minimum of 2348 hours of education and training, usually in a four academic-year program." (Dower, 2003)
It is reported that recent legislation in the state of California relating to schools that are approved to offer acupuncture that a minimum of 3,000 hours of study must be offered to students and followed a bill that was "hotly debated within the professional community and, while several programs already have close to or more than 3,000 curriculum hours, the new requirements may prove to be challenging to other schools. The effect of the increased hours on program costs and student recruitment is unclear." (Dower, 2003)
The work of Barnes (2008) entitled: "The Acupuncture Wars: The Professionalizing of American Acupuncture" states: "Since the 1970s, when Chinese acupuncture re-entered the awareness of the American public, it has encompassed multiple and sometimes conflicting orientations toward practice, practitioner identity, training, credentialing, and social status. Individuals who once saw themselves as countercultural guerrilla figures must now undergo increasingly complex examination and licensing procedures, along with an educational system that, in certain respects, bears a growing resemblance to biomedical training." Barnes additionally states in this work that "...this process has unfolded within the context of alternating interest, indifference, and rejection on the part of the dominant biomedical culture" and cites Wolpe (1985) Barnes addresses that transition that has occurred in what is termed to be a socialization process called professionalization and refers to the experiential marketplace challenges among members of this profession as the acupuncturist has secured a 'place' "in the medical landscape of the country." (2008) Barnes states that in the initiative of the study of professions, and specifically the acupuncturist profession makes a requirement of the "examination of the social dynamics..." (2008)
There are traditionally and historically two separates strains of acupuncture roots and beginnings and this is only in the country of China since other significant country derivations of acupuncture include those of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Acupuncture is considered to be an alternative and holistic form and method of treatment. Acupuncture history in the United States has been rife with challenges to its long-term use however, after a period of time which included the simplification of the technique and the minimization of its claims (Barnes, 2008) Acupuncture however, appearing...
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