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How to choose an acupuncturist

Published

State licensing, degree titles, what a session involves, safety, and cost.

Licensing

  • Most states license acupuncturists, but the requirements for licensing vary from state to state.[1]
  • There is no standardized national system for credentialing complementary health practitioners; state governments decide what credentials practitioners must have to work in that state.[2]
  • The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that in most states acupuncturists must be certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) or pass that organization's exams to be licensed.[2]
  • Effective February 2, 2026, NCCAOM adopted a new name: the National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM).[3]
  • In Washington, acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioners are licensed by the Washington State Department of Health, which offers a provider credential search tool.[4]
  • Washington applicants must graduate from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or a department-approved school, pass exam modules administered by NCBAHM, and complete a clean needle technique course.[3]
  • In California, the California Acupuncture Board licenses acupuncturists. The board says it is unable to give referrals, and that it can be called to verify an acupuncturist's status: valid, delinquent, or action against the license.[5][6]
  • A California license requires passing California's own written examination. California does not recognize licenses from other states, and does not accept passing the national NCCAOM examination for licensure.[7]
  • In California, physicians and surgeons licensed by the Medical Board or the Osteopathic Medical Board may also practice acupuncture, as may dentists and podiatrists within the scope of their licenses and with the training their boards require.[5]

Degree titles and the word "doctor"

  • In Washington, a licensed practitioner may be called an acupuncturist, licensed acupuncturist, or acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioner, or a combination of these.[8]
  • In Washington, an acupuncture and Eastern medicine practitioner may not use the title "doctor," "Dr." or "Ph.D." in advertising or other printed material unless the nature of the degree is clearly stated.[8]
  • In California, O.M.D. stands for "Oriental Medical Doctor", an academic title the board compares to a Ph.D. Only licensed acupuncturists with an earned doctorate from a California accredited, approved or authorized school may use it, and only together with the statement that they are a licensed acupuncturist.[5]
  • DAOM is Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As of February 2024, it was the only title ACAHM had recognized and accredited for its advanced practice doctorate, and ACAHM was reviewing the program name (a review begun in 2022). Admission requires an ACAHM-accredited or pre-accredited entry-level program first (a master's or an entry-level doctorate).[9]
  • ACAHM's naming policy required that, no later than January 1, 2024, its accredited entry-level doctorates be named Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc) or Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization (DAcCHM, or Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, or Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine). Before 2019, ACAHM did not set a title, and common degree names included Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.[9]
  • ACAHM is the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, formerly the Accreditation Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.[10]

What a session involves

  • In acupuncture, practitioners insert fine needles into the skin. The needles may be manipulated by hand or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture).[1]
  • The National Cancer Institute describes the needles as disposable, stainless steel and slightly thicker than a human hair; once inserted, they may be twirled, moved up and down at different speeds and depths, heated, or charged with a weak electric current.[11]
  • The California Acupuncture Board says the needles are sterile and generally cause no bleeding, with little or no pain, though slight bruising may occur on occasion. It says treatment may also include non-needle techniques such as moxibustion (heat), acupressure and herbal formulas, and that the number of treatments depends on the condition, whether symptoms are chronic or acute, and general health.[5]
  • NCCIH suggests explaining all of your health conditions to the practitioner, asking about their training and experience with people who have those conditions, and telling all of your health care providers about the complementary approaches you use.[12]
  • NCCIH says not to use acupuncture to postpone seeing a health care provider about a health problem.[1]

Safety

  • Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. However, complications have resulted from the use of nonsterile needles and improper delivery of treatments.[1]
  • When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections, punctured organs and injury to the central nervous system.[1]
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices and requires that they be sterile and labeled for single use only.[1]
  • The side effects the National Cancer Institute lists are soreness and pain during treatment; feeling tired, lightheaded or sleepy; and infection.[11]

Cost and insurance

  • Some health insurance policies cover acupuncture and others don't, and coverage is often limited based on the condition being treated.[1]
  • The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says insurance plans differ greatly in what complementary health approaches they cover, and suggests not assuming a plan will cover a practitioner's services but contacting the insurer to ask.[12]
  • Medicare.gov says Medicare Part B only covers acupuncture (including dry needling) for chronic low back pain (lasting 12 weeks or longer, with no known cause (for example, not related to cancer that has spread, or an inflammatory or infectious disease), and not associated with surgery or pregnancy): up to 12 treatments in 90 days, plus 8 more for patients showing improvement, to a maximum of 20 in a 12-month period. After the Part B deductible, the patient pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.[10][13]
  • Medicare.gov says Medicare can't pay licensed acupuncturists directly, and that you must get acupuncture from a doctor or another health care provider (such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) who has both a master's or doctoral degree in acupuncture or Oriental medicine from an ACAHM-accredited school and a current, full, active and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in the state where the care is given.[10]
  • Medicaid coverage of acupuncture varies from state to state.[1]
  • IRS Publication 502 lists acupuncture among the medical expenses that can be included in the itemized deduction for medical and dental expenses, which covers only the part of those expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income.[14]
  • An analysis of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative U.S. survey, found that the share of adult acupuncturist visits with any insurance coverage increased from 41.1% in 2010–2011 to 50.2% in 2018–2019.[1]
  • The People's Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) is a member-run non-profit whose stated mission is to increase access to affordable group acupuncture treatments.[15]

Acupuncturists by city

Sources

  1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Acupuncture: Effectiveness and Safety (last updated October 2022).
  2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Credentialing, Licensing, and Education (last updated May 2018).
  3. Washington State Department of Health. Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioner: Licensing Requirements.
  4. Washington State Department of Health. Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioner Licensing.
  5. California Acupuncture Board. Consumers Frequently Asked Questions.
  6. California Acupuncture Board. California Acupuncture Board (home page).
  7. California Acupuncture Board. Examination Requirements.
  8. Washington State Department of Health. Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioner: Frequently Asked Questions.
  9. Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM). Position Paper: ACAHM-Accreditable Doctoral Programs (last updated February 20, 2024).
  10. Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Acupuncture.
  11. National Cancer Institute (NIH). Acupuncture (PDQ), Patient Version (updated April 9, 2024).
  12. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). 6 Things To Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner.
  13. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. MLN Matters MM13288: National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain (August 2023).
  14. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses (page last reviewed or updated April 30, 2026).
  15. People's Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA). About.