Which style of acupuncture is right for you?

This article is a brief overview of the different styles of acupuncture. 

If you have ever gotten acupuncture from more than one healthcare practitioner before, you might have noticed that your experience with each one was quite different. While most Americans are well aware that there are numerous styles of martial arts -- not just Tae kwon do -- most laypeople and healthcare personnel are still not aware that there are multiple styles of acupuncture being practiced in the United States. Accreditation of Oriental Medical colleges and universities, as well as licensure laws and standardized testing, ensures some uniformity in the practice of acupuncture and herbal medicine in the United States. However, the regulations are not so strict as to prevent licensed acupuncturists from choosing a specialty or particular style of healing modalities. This is a wonderful thing because it allows individual patients to choose a practitioner who practices a variety of different styles or a particular style that is preferred by the patient. If a patient doesn’t like the style of one acupuncturist, she can choose another acupuncturist in Del Mar, CA who uses a different style.

Some people categorize the different styles of acupuncture by the country from which they originated, such as China, Japan, Korea, France, or the United Kingdom. This may not be the best way to categorize the different types of acupuncture available because there are still multiple styles originating in different regions of each country, based on prominent regional doctor-scholars or teachers. The simplest way of categorizing each style of acupuncture is to place each style into one of three categories: Classical, Non-Classical, and Adjunctive.

Classical acupuncture in Del Mar, CA is the style taught in Oriental Medical schools in the United States, as well as medical schools in China. This style of acupuncture is concerned not just with the external symptoms a patient presents with (headache, fatigue, back pain,

digestive discomfort, etc.), but also with the root cause of those symptoms (underlying deficiencies, qi stagnation, lifestyle factors, etc.). A Classical acupuncturist will pay attention to a patient’s pulse, tongue, and body signs such as any feeling of hot or cold, loose or hard stool, skin discolorations, color of urine, social factors, and many other things that other practitioners may think are irrelevant.

Within the category of Classical acupuncture is: “family style” acupuncture, TCM acupuncture, barefoot doctor acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, Korean acupuncture, French-Vietnamese acupuncture, five element acupuncture, and the many newer styles of acupuncture such as cosmetic acupuncture and fertility acupuncture as used in coordination with Western fertility modalities such as IVF. Family style acupuncture includes those lesser known styles which have been passed down through a family lineage and closely regarded as secret. Dr. Tan’s Balance Method and Master Tung’s Magic Points are examples of family style acupuncture. TCM acupuncture is the “official” style of medical schools in China, and is primarily what is used for the standardized exams for licensure in the United States. Japanese acupuncture in Encinitas includes several different styles, although one commonality they all share is a tendency to use lighter needle stimulation, abdominal or hara diagnosis, and a heavy reliance on moxibustion (burning mugwort or other herbs on the acupuncture points).

Non-Classical acupuncturists treat the symptoms of disease only, and may not pay much attention to a patient’s tongue, pulse, body temperature, coloration, or reported digestive condition. Non-Classical acupuncture includes microsystem-based acupuncture such as hand, foot, or ear acupuncture. Some examples of Non-Classical acupuncture include ear acupuncture for drug withdrawal or quitting smoking, foot acupuncture for glaucoma and other eye diseases, and hand acupuncture for body pain. These systems can be very effective, but the symptoms may return because the underlying condition is not addressed.

Adjunctive acupuncture includes medical acupuncture, chiropractic acupuncture, or acupuncture orthopedic acupuncture done by physical therapists or other non-licensed acupuncturists. Adjunctive acupuncture may include deep needling of trigger points for acute pain and muscle injuries. This style can be very effective for athletic injuries, whiplash, or work-related injuries.