Ultimate Guide for Choosing an Acupuncture School

If you’re reading this, then you’ve likely had acupuncture treatments in the past, realized how great Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is, and are now thinking about studying acupuncture. … Read More

What is Shiatsu? An Overview of Shiatsu Massage

You've likely familiar with the term Shiatsu and know that it's related to massage therapy, but don't know much more about it. In this article, we will explore Shiatsu in depth, including: The definition of Shiatsu History of Shiatsu Clinical evidence for Shiatsu Studying Shiatsu at a massage therapy school Massage Therapy career paths with Shiatsu What is Shiatsu? Shiatsu, literally meaning “figure pressure,” is a Japanese massage modality that was invented by Tokujiro Namikoshi during the 1920s. It is based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is considered a form of acupressure massage. … Read More

What is an Oriental Medicine Degree and What’s the ROI?

Are you considering going to acupuncture school and pursuing a degree in Oriental Medicine? Oriental Medicine is a unique health care profession that combines the holistic healing theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the rigors of modern science and evidence-based medicine. Because acupuncture school tuition is expensive, you may be wondering about the benefits of becoming an acupuncturist. Well for starters, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for Acupuncturists and Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other from May 2020 is $82,420. This article highlights what an acupuncturist is, what they do, and the return on investment (ROI) that a Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can provide. … Read More

Should You Study Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine?

Are you considering going to acupuncture school? In recent years, holistic practices such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have grown in popularity. In fact, many of the leading university hospital systems in the US now employ full-time acupuncturists. For example, Duke University’s Integrative Medicine Center offers acupuncture, acupressure massage, mindfulness meditation, and other holistic treatments in coordination with other conventional medical treatments. … Read More

What is the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Model of the Body?

The Human Body in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) In the first article of the series, we discussed the differences between Western Oriental Medicine and how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was a form of holistic medicine, since it focused on healing the physical and non-physical aspects of the human condition. In the second article, we discussed how Taoism sets the intellectual foundation for understanding TCM. Unsurprisingly, Traditional Chinese Medicine views the body as having physical and non-physical components. Knowing what these non-physical components are is important to understanding how the human body is viewed in TCM, which in turn sets the foundation for understanding TCM notions of health, illness, and treatments. As such, in this article we will give an overview of the TCM model of the human body, which is taught alongside Western anatomy at our acupuncture school in Florida. … Read More

Health and Illness in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

In the previous blog, we discussed the Traditional Chinese Medical model of the human body. In TCM, the concept of health is different than that in the West. TCM’s concept of health is based on different principles, all of which are connected to yin-yang and qi. … Read More

Eight Principles of Diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In a previous article, we discussed the notion of health and illness in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM, illness arises as a result of specific yin-yang imbalances of the Functional Entities. … Read More

How To Research Acupuncture Schools Online

The journey to selecting the right acupuncture school for you begins by gathering information online. In this day and age, every acupuncture school should have a college website, an active social media presence (especially on Facebook), and a business profile listed in several online review directories, such as Yelp. … Read More

Should I Get a Master's or Doctorate  Degree in Oriental Medicine?

A common question we get from prospective students at our acupuncture school in Florida is whether it's better to enroll in a Master's or Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) Program. We understand that it’s easy and natural to become hyped when looking into different Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree programs. And while it is certainly good to be excited about becoming an acupuncturist, what you don’t want to do is let the paradox of choice overwhelm you, or worse, stop you completely from selecting an acupuncture school that’s right for you. … Read More

How to Become a Professional Acupuncturist

If you're currently considering studying Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, you may have some lingering questions about acupuncture school or the profession itself. As such, this post will be helpful to you as you learn more about this wonderful profession. … Read More

Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

In the previous article, we discussed the key differences between Conventional and Holistic Medicine. Western medicine takes a physicalist approach to the body, while Holistic Medicine takes a whole-body approach. The reductionist approach in Western medicine is rooted in Enlightenment philosophy, while the whole-body approach in holistic medicine is based on various principles and traditions, all of which emphasize non-invasive practices (bodywork, etc.), natural products over chemical pharmaceuticals, and the body's ability to heal itself. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Taosim Just as Western medicine has been heavily influenced by European philosophy, it makes perfect sense that Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the Ancient Chinese religion of Taoism. In order to properly understand Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is necessary to understand Taoism. … Read More

An Overview of the Acupuncture Profession Today

Over the past few weeks, we've been covering the history of the acupuncture profession in the US. We started by discussing how acupuncture was introduced in the West, and later learned how it was practiced in America during the 1800s, but then largely disappeared from the American consciousness until the 1970s, when it brought into the American mainstream by James Reston, a writer for the New York Times. … Read More

History of Acupuncture Profession during the 2000s

Westerners have known about acupuncture since the 1600s and Americans have been practicing acupuncture since the 1800s. … Read More

History of American Acupuncture: 1990s

Over the past few weeks, we have been covering the history of acupuncture in America. We began by discussing the first Europeans that came across Acupuncture in Asia, and how acupuncture made its way to America during the 1800s. … Read More

History of Acupuncture During the 1980s

Over the past few weeks, we've been covering the history of acupuncture in America. In the first installment of this series, we covered the early history of acupuncture in the West and discussed the first Europeans to come into contact with acupuncture. In the second installment, we discussed how acupuncture was introduced to the early American medical community. In the third installment, we discussed how acupuncture first entered the American mainstream during the 1970s and covered the early years of acupuncture as a profession. … Read More

Subscribe to Email Updates

Sign Up for the AMC Newsletter

Recent Posts