News / Profession

American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Welcomes New Lobbying Team

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

On March 25, 2009, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) signed a contract with Sam Brunelli, of Team Builders International (TBI), to serve as its new lobbying firm. Brunelli brings to the table an extensive portfolio of experiences and contacts. He served President Ronald Reagan as director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Education. In 1988, he became the executive director and CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Counsel. During his eight-year tenure, the ALEC became the nation's foremost legislative organization dedicated to limited government, state sovereignty and free-market enterprise. In 1996, Mr. Brunelli formed Team Builders International to lobby at the federal, state, and local level.

In addition to his lobbying experience, Brunelli also has direct experience with the benefits of acupuncture treatment. After college, he was a walk-on left defensive end and left offensive tackle, starting for the Denver Broncos for nearly a decade. Having received acupuncture with considerable success as a past NFL football star, he highly respects its use in sports rehabilitation.

print pdf
Trending
Acupuncture & Acupressure
It’s Time to Stop Prescribing Points
It's Time to Stop Prescribing Points

A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.

Bruce W. Park, DACM
Acupuncture & Acupressure
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations

Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the patient.

Craig Williams, LAc, AHG
News / Profession
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change
Profession at a Crossroads: What Must Change

The field of acupuncture in the U.S. continues to grow in visibility, patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Yet behind the curtain, many acupuncturists are quietly struggling to keep their doors open. While the profession is rooted in centuries of healing tradition, modern economic pressures – particularly those driven by insurance limitations, low reimbursement rates and job-market saturation – are making it increasingly difficult for licensed acupuncturists to thrive.

Shabnam Pourhassani, LAc, QME, DACM