Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and acupuncturists:
- Assess, treat and prevent diseases, conditions, disorders or imbalances using acupuncture, herbology or other holistic health approaches
- Work in private practice, including group or team practices, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres and health clubs
Duties
Acupuncturists:
- Diagnose diseases, physical disorders, imbalances and injuries, within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine
- Treat patients by inserting needles
- Use stimulation techniques that include heat, light (including laser), acupressure, magnets, suction and electric currents
- May suggest exercises and offer food guidelines
- Educate patients on risks and benefits of treatments
- Develop treatment plans including acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping, scraping or electrical current
- Evaluate and document patients' progress
- May develop treatment plans with other health care professionals
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners:
- Diagnose diseases, physical disorders, imbalances and injuries
- Treat patients using acupuncture and Chinese herbology
- 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 develop treatment plans with other health care professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians and psychologists
Traditional Chinese medicine herbalists:
- Diagnose diseases, physical disorders, imbalances and injuries
- Prescribe and mix herbal formulas to treat patients
- Work within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine
- May suggest healing Chinese recipes
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,525% Employed Full Time
17%Many traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists work in private practice, including group or team practices. Others are employed by health clinics, extended care facilities, rehab centres and health clubs.
They may work regular business hours, evenings or weekends. Most work environments are quiet and soothing.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists must keep treatment areas clean and take other safety measures to protect their clients and themselves from infection. They may feel strain from standing or sitting during treatments. They also risk injury when lifting and moving tables and other equipment.
Career Pathways
With additional education and training, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners may become doctors of traditional Chinese medicine. In this advanced role, they deal with more complex medical needs.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
Acupuncturists usually require:
- Completion a three- to four-year diploma program in acupuncture from a private institute, or
- Some university undergraduate studies in science and training in a related health care discipline, or
- Work experience under the supervision of a registered acupuncturist
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners usually require:
- 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
Traditional Chinese medicine herbalists usually require:
- A three-year diploma in traditional Chinese medicine, majoring in herbology
- Some university undergraduate studies in science
- Clinical training under the supervision of a registered traditional Chinese medicine herbalist or traditional Chinese medicine practitioner
Acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and traditional Chinese medicine herbalists must be registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia, which includes completion of an approved registration examination. Throughout their careers, they must keep their skills current.
Workers coming to B.C.
Practitioners of natural healing who are certified by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references or a criminal record check.
Workers who trained outside of Canada
Practitioners of natural healing who trained outside of Canada and have never received certification from a Canadian jurisdiction will likely need a full assessment. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants. Contact the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of BC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Health/Medical - General
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,525Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | 2.0% |
| Kootenay | 55 | 3.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,065 | 70.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 0.7% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 65 | 4.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 295 | 19.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
540Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 1.1% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 1.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 390 | 1.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 1.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 100 | 2.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 510 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 10 |
| Retail Trade | 10 |
Resources
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Acupuncture Canadawww.acupuncturecanada.org
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British Columbia Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners (ATCMA)atcma.org
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Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CARB-TCMPA)carb-tcmpa.org
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Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada (CMAAC)www.cmaac.ca
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College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA)www.ctcma.bc.ca
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Natural Health Practitioners of Canadawww.nhpcanada.org
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United Acupuncturists and TCMP Association of British Columbia (UAABC)www.uaabc.com
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be an acupuncturist.
Watch the video below to see what it's like to be an acupuncturist.
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