Acupuncturists

What the job really is

Diagnose, treat, and prevent disorders by stimulating specific acupuncture points within the body using acupuncture needles. May also use cups, nutritional supplements, therapeutic massage, acupressure, and other alternative health therapies.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-1291
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Maintain and follow standard quality, safety, environmental, and infection control policies and procedures.
• Treat patients using tools, such as needles, cups, ear balls, seeds, pellets, or nutritional supplements.
• Adhere to local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and statutes.
• Identify correct anatomical and proportional point locations based on patients' anatomy and positions, contraindications, and precautions related to treatments, such as intradermal needles, moxibustion, electricity, guasha, or bleeding.
• Develop individual treatment plans and strategies.
• Insert needles to provide acupuncture treatment.
• Evaluate treatment outcomes and recommend new or altered treatments as necessary to further promote, restore, or maintain health.
• Collect medical histories and general health and lifestyle information from patients.
• Maintain detailed and complete records of health care plans and prognoses.
• Educate patients on topics, such as meditation, ergonomics, stretching, exercise, nutrition, the healing process, breathing, or relaxation techniques.
• Assess patients' general physical appearance to make diagnoses.
• Analyze physical findings and medical histories to make diagnoses according to Oriental medicine traditions.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, AcuPartner Professional, Acupuncture ear probes, Acupuncture needle guide tubes, Acutonics tuning forks, Adenoid sphygmomanometers, Adson forceps, Air ion testers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Naturopathic Physicians
• Chiropractors
• Massage Therapists
• Cardiologists
• General Internal Medicine Physicians
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Family Medicine Physicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Acupuncturists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.