Western Acupuncture Article
Finding An Acupuncturist
It’s easier today than it used to be simply because it has become much more common as a form of healing. It is perhaps as simple as looking for a dentist. You could ask around and you’ll probably find that friends have already been to one. You could look one up in the phone book or the Internet. Online, you’ll find that there are many and they are usually listed by city and state. Very often, your family doctor could give you a few leads especially now that traditional medical professionals are referring cases to acupuncturists and the line between the two streams isn’t as rigid as it used to be. For all you know, you might just discover that your physician has done a course in either acupuncture or in an associated field.
Finding an acupuncturist today as we said might be an easy task. Finding one that’s good might take a bit of effort. Once you know the ones in your area, it is always better to check out their credentials. In fact, you should do this with all the health care professionals you go to. You could do this by checking to see if your state has training standards for acupuncturists. Not all do, but if yours does, it might be a good idea to find out a bit more about the professional you are looking at. This is not to say that everyone with a certification is good but it is an assurance of recognized training. What you could expect with an acupuncturist is a healthcare professional who looks at your symptoms. If you are looking to him to diagnose your ailment, you might be disappointed. Unless of course, he is a trained traditional medical practitioner. Chinese medicine usually treats symptoms and is not overly bothered about diagnosis. For diagnosis, it might be worthwhile going to your regular physician.
After getting a list of acupuncturists in your area and checking their credentials, look to your family and friends’ circle to see if anyone has heard of any of the acupuncturists and if anyone has success stories to report. Then go and take a look at the office, the surroundings, see if you feel comfortable with the person and then decide whether or not you want to go ahead. The first visit will usually be a good indication of how comfortable you feel.
Once the acupuncturist has listed out your symptoms, he will probably give you some idea of how much it will cost you. This will depend on the number of visits and these in turn will depend on many factors like your age, your general state of health, the severity of your symptoms, etc. There might be just one session needed or on the other hand, you might need to keep going for weeks. You’ll find that acupuncturists will cost less to go to than physicians who also have training in acupuncture.
Does your insurance cover acupuncture? It does but you will need to talk to them as there could be exceptions. You would also need to be referred by your physician.
