Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists

Example job titles

• acupuncturist
• traditional Chinese medicine practitioner

Main duties

• This group performs some or all of the following duties:
• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners
• Diagnose within the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine the diseases, physiological disorders and injuries of patients
• Explain procedures, risks and benefits of treatments to patients
• Prescribe and administer treatment such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), scraping (Gua Sha), cupping therapy, moxibustion, acupressure, and auriculotherapy
• May prescribe and administer Chinese manipulative therapy (Tui Na), energy control therapy (Qi Gong) and laser therapy
• May suggest home care instructions and provide information about life therapies including energy control therapy (Qi Gong), Chinese shadow boxing (Tai Ji Quan) and Chinese food cure recipes (Shi Liao)
• Maintain patient records
• Prescribe and administer treatment using raw or granule herbs and other medicines or dietary supplements
• May collaborate with other health care professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians and psychologists when developing treatment plans for patients.

Employment requirements

• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners usually require completion of a four- to five-year diploma program in traditional Chinese medicine from a private institute or completion of a program in traditional Chinese medicine from recognized medical schools abroad.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in Ontario and British Columbia, which includes completion of an approved registration examination.
• Acupuncturists usually require completion of a three- to four-year diploma program in acupuncture from a private institute or completion of some university undergraduate studies in science and training in a related health care discipline or work experience under the supervision of a registered acupuncturist.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required for acupuncturists in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, which includes completion of an approved registration examination.

Approved positions by year