Provide treatment of symptoms and disorders using needles and small electrical currents. May provide massage treatment. May also provide preventive treatments.
Overview
Tasks
Skills
Median Annual Wage: $73,400
Education: Master's degree (48%); Professional degree (14%); Doctoral degree (13%)
Projected Growth: Average (8% to 14%)
Related Job Titles: Acupuncturist; Licensed Acupuncturist; Acupuncture Physician
Maintain and follow standard quality, safety, environmental and infection control policies and procedures.
Adhere to local, state and federal laws, regulations and statutes.
Identify correct anatomical and proportional point locations based on patients' anatomy and positions, contraindications, and precautions related to treatments such as intradermal needles, moxibution, electricity, guasha, and bleeding.
Maintain detailed and complete records of health care plans and prognoses.
Analyze physical findings and medical histories to make diagnoses according to Oriental medicine traditions.
Treat patients using tools such as needles, cups, ear balls, seeds, pellets, and nutritional supplements.
Develop individual treatment plans and strategies.
Collect medical histories and general health and life style information from patients.
Evaluate treatment outcomes and recommend new or altered treatments as necessary to further promote, restore, or maintain health.
Dispense herbal formulas and inform patients of dosages and frequencies, treatment duration, possible side effects and drug interactions.
Assess patients' general physical appearance to make diagnoses.
Educate patients on topics such as meditation, ergonomics, stretching, exercise, nutrition, the healing process, breathing, and relaxation techniques.
Formulate herbal preparations to treat conditions considering herbal properties such as taste, toxicity, effects of preparation, contraindications, and incompatibilities.
Consider Western medical procedures in health assessment, health care team communication, and care referrals.
Apply heat or cold therapy to patients using materials such as heat pads, hydrocollator packs, warm compresses, cold compresses, heat lamps, and vapor coolants.
Apply moxibustion directly or indirectly to patients using Chinese, non-scarring, stick, or pole moxa.
Treat medical conditions using techniques such as acupressure, shiatsu, and tuina.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.