These days, TCM practitioners are specialists in the use acupuncture and chinese herbs with a background of modern knowledge of the biomedical and pharmacological effects.  In other words, modern day practitioners of TCM not only study the Chinese Medical system but also undertake studies in biomedical sciences such as physiology, pharmacology, endocrinology and neurology etc.

   Practitioners are accredited by the peak acupuncture accreditation bodies in Australia; Australian Traditional Chinese Medicine Accreditation Board (ATCMAB) and the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA).

   After investigating the clinical use of acupuncture, The World Health Organization (WHO) drew up a list of diseases that lend themselves to acupuncture treatment. As with any kind of treatment the efficacy depends on the nature of the problem and the severity, or how chronic the condition is. Clinical experience and training gives the practitioner an indication of the likely outcome of treatment so it important that the acupuncture is actually performed by an adequately trained acupuncturist. Currently there are no laws preventing the untrained from practicing acupuncture and consequently there are many practitioners or therapists who attempt acupuncture with far less training than is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation). Those who are qualified in other areas such as general practice medicine, chiropractic etc, may not have specialist acupuncture or TCM training and therefore may not understand what acupuncture can treat. The Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) have a register of accredited acupuncturists and TCM practitioners. In general, those who are not trained fully in acupuncture are not aware that acupuncture can be used to treat many conditions, such as asthma for example, and they only see acupuncture as a mere pain relief measure. A properly trained acupuncturist can treat the underlying cause of the problem in many disorders, reducing inflammation and resulting in long term benefits.


     The table below lists some of the diseases that are treated in acupuncture clinics.