As an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture is rooted in a medical system that goes back thousands of years. Yet its full potential is still ahead. Now one of the fastest-growing fields in alternative health, acupuncture has exploded far beyond its original Asian origins and is taking the entire world by storm. The reasons for this are multi-faceted and have much to do with its recognition by legal authorities as a tried and true super-effective medical system with much to offer modern patients.
Our graduate-level acupuncture program here at AIAM is a full-time medical program designed to get you into this exciting career at the ground floor. Here are three strong reasons why a career in acupuncture leads to a bright future.
Acupuncture Is Recognized by the Government as an Effective Medical Treatment
Unlike many other forms of alternative and traditional medicine that are still fighting for recognition from the authorities, acupuncture is accepted by many government bodies as a real medical system with real benefits. From the World Health Organization, which lists dozens of conditions and diseases that acupuncture successfully treats, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which officially classified acupuncture needles as “medical devices” in 1996, acupuncture is respected and recognized by nearly everyone as a potent treatment method.
This means that as a graduate of our program, will you be qualified as a medical practitioner in a field that is accepted not just here in the USA but around the world. Because of acupuncture’s special status among alternative medicines, this also means that many of your clients will be able to use their insurance or health plan to cover treatments. As more and more private health insurance coverage policies expand to include alternative medicine, acupuncture will continue to be the most widely offered, as it is the most recognized by the medical authorities.
Acupuncture Is an Effective Treatment for Many Conditions
The reason why acupuncture is recognized around the world by medical professionals is of course because it has been found over and over again in real clinical trials to be a very effective form of medicine. From alleviating a wide variety of different pain disorders — everything from sciatica to arthritis — to showing therapeutic action against chronic conditions like allergies and depression, acupuncture has a wide range of practical application in modern medicine.
In fact, because many of the conditions that acupuncture treats are caused by the modern lifestyle itself, acupuncture — along with other TCM modalities like diet and stress control — is poised to grow incredibly in the years and decades to come. While there are many opportunities to start your own practice and work independently, more and more medical doctors and hospitals are hiring acupuncturists to work alongside them as complementary medicine providers, meaning your horizons are just getting wider. At AIAM, we provide a wide range of employment assistance to our students and graduates through the Career Services center including resume assistance and On Campus Career fairs where potential employers are present.
Acupuncture Is a Safe, Non-Invasive Procedure
Another reason why acupuncture is growing in popularity and will continue to be one of the fastest-growing careers in the health field is because of its simple, yet effective methods, which do not cause harm to the patient. Put simply, acupuncture treats many of the same conditions that modern medicine does without having to resort to chemical pharmaceuticals or invasive surgeries, making it very attractive to those who are looking for natural, safer treatment methods for chronic or acute problems.
With more and more people concerned about the damage through side effects that pharmaceutical drugs can cause, alternative therapies like acupuncture will only continue to see interest grow. Because opioid prescription painkiller addiction and abuse has become a problem of epic proportions and acupuncture is a proven effective treatment therapy for a wide array of pain associated conditions with side effects, the future of acupuncture is especially bright and relevant. In short, a career in acupuncture allows you to help people overcome their medical issues in a safer more natural way than many of their other current options.
Why Acupuncture Will Dominate the Future
The biggest reason why acupuncture will continue to explode however is because its true potential still lies relatively untapped. According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is growing in popularity for more and more different medical conditions. As both an adjunctive treatment and a stand-alone form of medicine, acupuncture simply still has lots of room to grow, meaning a career in acupuncture is a smart move for those who want a happy and secure future.
While there have been many studies done that prove the efficacy of acupuncture, many more are on their way. Beyond its safe and effective use for pain and emotional disorders, acupuncture has a long history of anecdotal use for conditions that still have not been studied alongside the treatment in a clinical setting. As more and more scientific proof emerges, acupuncture will grow into its full role as an important alternative medical career of the future.