News in Brief -- From the September 2006 Issue of Acupuncture Today

Call for Volunteers to be Interviewed

Would you like to be interviewed about your community service work? Have you volunteered or done community service work as an acupuncturist? Would you like to answer some questions and be part of an article for later publication? If so, please contact Cynthia Neipris, LAc, Director of Community Outreach, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, New York campus. Please reply with contact information to cneipris@pacificcollege.edu or call (212) 982-3456 ext. 229.

Acupuncturists Without Borders to Commemorate the Anniversary of Katrina

Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) is planning to commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and is looking for everyone's help. AWB is asking acupuncturists around the country to conduct one or more community acupuncture sessions in their areas during the week of August 26 to September 1. Reach out to new audiences and support important work. Donations for treatments will go to AWB's extensive volunteer work in Louisiana. Suggested donations for each treatment are $20. AWB is willing to provide acupuncturists with a template for a press release that they can send to the local media and a flyer that can be posted. AWB will also post the information on its website, and contact national media with a list of all participating acupuncturists and their city/town and web addresses. For more information on this program, e-mail AWB at info@acuwithoutborders.org.

National Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day Educates Consumers About Benefits of Acupuncture

October 24^th has been selected as Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day, a designation recognized by leadership organizations in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and spearheaded by the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The purpose of the designation is to raise awareness about the benefits of acupuncture - a viable form of medicine with a 3,000-year history - and how consumers can find certified professional practitioners to ensure better care, better treatment, and better outcomes.

In the United States, the use of acupuncture and Oriental medicine is at an all-time high. According to a recent study conducted by the National Institute for Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), an estimated 36 percent of U.S. adults use some form of alternative therapy, and 25 percent have tried acupuncture. According to recent research, 64 percent of physicians have referred patients to certified practitioners of alternative therapies, including acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and more than $17 billion is spent on the therapies annually.

Knowledge is power when it comes to making informed healthcare decisions. NCCAOM has not only established a website in honor of AOM Day at www.nccaom.org, but the NCCAOM website at www.nccaom.org, hosts an excellent source for consumers to locate certified and good-standing acupuncturists and practitioners of Oriental medicine throughout the nation and worldwide.