DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NCCAOM DIPLOMATE AND OTHER PRACTITIONERS
IN CONTRAST:
Medical doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists who offer “acupuncture” often receive only 20–300 hours of training, usually focused on dry needling or limited point protocols, not the full diagnostic system of Chinese Medicine.
KEY DIFFERENCES:
Licensed Acupuncturist / Diplomate of OM (NCCAOM)
✔ Full Classical Chinese Medicine training
✔ Acupuncture + Chinese herbal medicine
✔ Differential diagnosis based on organ systems, channels, and physiology
✔ Functional medicine integration
✔ Trauma physiology + mind-body medicine
✔ Holistic, root-cause–focused care
A Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is the highest national certification for Licensed Acupuncturists in the United States. This credential indicates that the practitioner has completed:
3–4 years of accredited graduate medical training (typically 2,500–3,500+ hours)
Extensive coursework in Classical & Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, biomedical sciences, and clinical diagnosis
Hundreds of supervised clinical hours
Successful passing of multiple national board examinations
Ongoing continuing education requirements
OTHER HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS (MD, PT, DC, RN) PERFORMING ACUPUNCTURE
✘ Limited training (20–300 hours)
✘ Often only dry needling, trigger point work
✘ No Classical Chinese Medicine diagnosis
✘ No herbal or functional medicine training
✘ No national board certification in OM
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR PATIENTS
Choosing a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine ensures you are receiving treatment from a practitioner trained in the full medical system of Chinese Medicine—not just the needling technique.