To choose a well-qualified, professional acupuncturist, you should ask the following questions:
- The acupuncturist must have a valid Washington State acupuncture license (you can ask to see it)
- The acupuncturist should have passed the rigorous National Board Certifications in Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbal Medicine. The certifications are administered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
- Training in other healthcare modalities is helpful
- The acupuncturist should have working relationships and referral relationships with other healthcare professionals
- You should notice an improvement of symptoms within 3 or 4 sessions or less
- The acupuncturist should take time to answer all of your questions