As with most of the topics we’re covering in our series on chiropractic red flags, the topic for this week isn’t innately bad. In fact, we believe there is a place in modern wellness care for acupuncture and are proud to support experts in this field. However, our focus in this series is to pinpoint warning signs that you may experience in a chiropractor’s office, and we believe it’s less than ideal for a chiropractor to offer acupuncture in his or her practice.

Before diving in, it’s important to note that there is a difference between a chiropractor doing acupuncture and a chiropractor who hires an acupuncturist to work out a space in their office. We believe in surrounding ourselves with professionals who can improve our personal motivations to do better and who can improve the lives of our practice members. So this blog is not to call out those who rent rooms to other specialists, but rather to shine a light on the concerns behind a doctor or chiropractor practicing acupuncture.

What Is Acupuncture?

Most traditionally, acupuncture involves the insertion of hair-thin needles into various acupuncture points across the body for the purpose of pain relief and healing. Other acupuncture practices may include applying heat, pressure, friction suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to the specific pressure points across the body. The most common practice involves needles, however. These needles are believed to stimulate the central nervous system and then release chemicals into the muscles, brain, and spinal cord to activate healing and promote health and wellbeing.

What Are the Qualifications for an Acupuncturist?

In the United States, acupuncturists generally need to complete an accredited program in acupuncture and/or Chinese medicine, and they typically need a master’s degree to practice. There is a big movement toward requiring doctoral training in this field as well. In addition to the coursework and completion of degrees, acupuncturists need to take certification exams to become licensed.

The primary concern among chiropractors becoming acupuncturists is that their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral coursework is focused on chiropractic rather than acupuncture. Chiropractors or other medical professionals can attain an acupuncture certification by completing a 100-hour or 200-hour program. This is in strict contrast to the 1,350 to 1,850 hours required in traditional acupuncture degree programs.

It’s interesting to note that only 30 states in the US allow doctors of chiropractic to become certified practitioners of acupuncture.

Acupuncture Experts Are Always Ideal

If you think acupuncture could benefit you, you should seek out a trained, licensed, and highly experienced acupuncture expert. This would be someone who has spent years or even decades studying all the intricacies of acupuncture in its purest form and someone who has true expertise in acupuncture. Their experience and in-depth knowledge of the practice will be invaluable as you seek to achieve healing and improved wellness.

If you see a chiropractor who also practices acupuncture, we encourage you to question their expertise in either field. Often, adding a focus like this is more about billing additional services and increasing income than anything else. A quality chiropractor will be able to tell you if they think acupuncture will help you, and they may even be able to refer you to a fantastic acupuncturist in your area. If you live in the Charlotte area and are looking for a chiropractor, contact Dr. Grant Lisetor and his team at Greater Life Chiropractic. The doctors at Greater Life are principled, neurologically-based chiropractors who prioritize their expertise and your health over anything else, and they would love the opportunity to serve you and your family.