Holistic health is an industry that is continuing to grow as more individuals seek out non-invasive ways to achieve good health. One popular way to accomplish this is to receive acupuncture care. Students that are interested in providing this alternative medicine practice can gain education through accredited colleges and universities.
Acupuncture promotes health by increasing blood flow to specific areas of the body. The goal is to place fine needles in concentrated patterns on the body to relieve a number of health complications. The needles are left in place for a specific amount of time until the patient feels a dull ache. The pattern and depth of the needles releases the body's natural healing mechanisms. Students are taught the principles of both traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine practices. This combined approach to learning allows students to step into the career field ready to work with patients and other health care professionals.
To become an acupuncturist students are required to complete a master's degree program.
Some courses could include:History of Chinese Medicine
Healing Philosophies
Anatomy
These types of courses require no hands-on training and may be taken online. Online education is typically not provided due to the high level of hands-on training required for graduation. Some online colleges will offer these courses as a part of their curriculum or students can take these courses online and transfer them into graduate degree training. Degree courses become more difficult as training progresses and they require a set amount of clinical hours to be logged for successful completion of the program.
The use of acupuncture equipment is learned along with the used techniques for needle placement. Students can expect to study different treatment methods such as moxibustion and gua sha. Other areas of study will include pathology, biochemistry, nutrition, and diagnosis. These educational foundations will be utilized in supervised clinical settings.Students must earn an undergraduate degree to be considered for entry into an acupuncture master's degree. Education is available in numerous areas at this level of education. No undergraduate acupuncture degree programs exist so students are required to complete a program in a wellness-related area. A great opportunity for students is completing a bachelor's degree program in alternative medicine. This degree fulfills the undergraduate requirement and prepares students for the advanced education they will receive at the master's degree level. Natural practices to prevent and treat diseases are studied at a foundational level. Students learn to treat the whole person with alternative medicine. Common courses integrated into a program include:
Naturopathy
Acupuncture
Hydrotherapy
Botanical Medicine
Students graduate with a skill set that allows them to work directly with patients to prevent a variety of ailments using natural methods. This holistic healing education basis allows students to step into several careers, which includes becoming an acupuncturist.
Students interested in becoming an acupuncturist should start natural healing training now in a science or health-based area. Colleges and universities provide students with several educational opportunities that prepare them to step confidently into the acupuncture industry. Fully accredited acupuncture schools are approved by agencies like the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) to provide a quality education.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised on HolisticJunction.com.
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