Now We Can Stay Healthy Safely – National Board Registration for Chinese Medicine in Australia

National board registration of Chinese medicine practitioners is a huge step forward for healthcare in Australia. Registration provides quality control of all acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine services supplied to the public, and necessitates practitioners to adhere to strict continuing education requirements for active registration. This long overdue process brings regulatory guidelines that oversee the profession in line with those in the USA where licensing has been mandatory in some states for more than 20 years. The implications of this comparatively early licensure are the benefits of acupuncture have been already well established. Therefore acupuncture is provided as complementary care in many prominent hospitals such as Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and even in more conservative fields such as the US military.

The progression of Chinese medicine to registration is a very good outcome for the Australian public where up to this time medical providers have dictated the flow of healthcare. In situations where you know you are not 100% on top of your game, you may feel a little tired, your digestion may be sluggish or you may not be sleeping as soundly as you know you can. You schedule an appointment to see your general practitioner. He or she performs an examination, runs all the necessary tests and concludes there is nothing wrong with you, as all investigations were negative. You are "not sick"; you have been congratulated on your clean bill of health and shown the door. Despite this you know you are not completely well and could be feeling better. What do you do? Your doctor has not referred you to see anyone else, as you are not ill.

Now Australians can stay healthy safely and seek treatment from registered Chinese medicine providers. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are an excellent option to keep you healthy, and restore that true sense of well being. Integrative medicine, or conventional as well as complementary healthcare services are now acknowledged as having the potential to offer the public the best opportunity at maintaining their optimal health. You can now see your general practitioner, and if you are deemed to be sick get the appropriate treatment. If nothing is "wrong" and you are given a pat on the back as you leave your doctor's surgery then there now is a credible alternative. If you are "not sick" but still are not feeling quite right, then you can choose to pursue Chinese medicine with a registered practitioner.

Source by Karen Bilton