Acupuncturists practice a holistic form of medicine without prescription drugs. This approach to wellness supports the body’s natural healing process by using specific points at or near the body’s surface through the insertion of acupuncture needles or by manually holding pressure points.
Other treatment techniques include herbal medicine, electroacupuncture, cupping (creating suction on the skin with the application of heated cups), massage, and moxibustion (a traditional medicine therapy consisting of burning dried mugwort on particular points on the body). Acupuncturists with specialized training can even treat animals under the direct supervision of a veterinary doctor.
Meridian points on the body
Providers practicing acupuncture must be licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs’ (DCA) Acupuncture Board: the sole issuer of licenses and regulatory body of the acupuncture profession in California.
The Acupuncture Board protects the health and safety of consumers through the creation and management of entry standards of qualification and conduct within the acupuncture profession, primarily through its authority to license and discipline allegations of unsafe and incompetent practice by licensed and unlicensed individuals.
Before making an appointment with an acupuncturist, the Acupuncture Board encourages you to check and verify the license. Contact DCA’s Consumer Information Call Center at (800) 952-5210 or check a professional’s license online at https://search.dca.ca.gov.
You can also file a written complaint through the Board’s online complaint form, download a form to mail, or request a complaint form by calling the Board directly at (916) 515-5200 or by calling the DCA’s Consumer Information Call Center.
