The Viability of the Acupuncture Profession

Sometimes I do a google search for my name just for the fun of it. The other day I stumbled across a post by an acupuncture student that had been posted to a forum somewhere. It was something to the effect of who the hell am I and where did I come off suggesting that acupuncture was a "dead-end" profession. I did write in my last posts about the expense of being educated in the field and the limited opportunities upon graduation. These things were not my opinion, but an examination of statistics on income and patient usage of services. But that is really neither here nor there. The issue in my mind is one of intent. Perhaps I am a secret quackbuster seeking to hurt the profession for some reason. No, it's really something much less nefarious than that.

I do think that acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine have their place in healthcare. My concern is that the profession has become polluted with irrational thinking and self-serving promotion. The reason that acupuncture is not viable for most graduates is not a mystery. It is because little or no resources have been devoted to validating its realm of effectiveness with controlled research. The focus of both the schools and the professional associations has been to market the profession as viable for every reason but evidence of efficacy. Resources have been squandered and a handful of opportunists have enriched themselves at the expense of students, practitioners, and the general public.

No, my words should be seen as a call to arms. I no longer practice, teach, etc. and have no horse in this race. But for those who do, take back your professional organizations and direct their resources toward research. Only do business with herb companies that meet high ethical standards and provide you with appropriate documentation about their products. Force them to do the work they should have been doing for 30 years by using the power of the purse. This profession will die a slow death if the next generation does not prove its usefulness. There are few gains left to be made by lobbying politicians or hard-selling the public. Its time to buckle down and do the hard work of clinical research or you will find yourself in the same plight as most Americans someday soon—trying to figure out what your next career is.