How to Find an Acupuncturist in NYC

Finding a qualified practitioner who offers acupuncture in NYC is not very difficult. A search in Yelp for “acupuncture” in “New York, NY” will yield 1,000 entries for people/businesses offering acupuncture and related services in the 5 boroughs and New Jersey. You can find this many and much more by doing a similar search in Google. So clearly, there is no shortage of people/businesses offering acupuncture in New York.

With so many acupuncturists to choose from, how do you determine who is the best acupuncturist in New York City to entrust your health to?

1. You can visit the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The NCCAOM allows you to search for practitioners according to location and certification. The certifications include Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Oriental Medicine, and Asian Bodywork Therapy. If you perform a search in New York City for a certified acupuncturist, you will find 401 results. Some of the acupuncturists will have taken a 3-4 year Master’s degree in acupuncture program from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine located in Manhattan.Regardless of where the practitioner has studied, you will want to see a copy of their diploma certifying that they have successfully passed at least a 4 year program at an accredited school.
2. In order to offer and perform acupuncture treatments in New York State, you must be licensed. To be a licensed acupuncturist in New York State you must meet education,  examination (including a cleaning needle technique course) requirements and “demonstrate proficiency in English if you are a candidate whose application is based upon credit granted for the completion of courses of study in a country where English is not the principal language spoken.”
3. It is extremely rare to find an acupuncturist that has attended a traditional medical school and holds a MD degree. However, in China, there are colleges such as the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) College that combine training in TCM and Western Medicine. These colleges provide very rigorous training with graduates compiling over 5,000 hours of study. At the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, students must complete 3232.5 credit hours of theory and practice in order to obtain their Master’s degree.
4. An acupuncturist’s list of verifiable testimonials has a great value. Don’t simply read the testimonials that appear in Yelp, Google, or a practitioner’s website. If you really want to know whether an acupuncturist can address your health needs, ask them if you can contact one of their patients directly that has similar health issues to you and interview them regarding their experience with the acupuncturist. Some practitioners will be reluctant to provide patient information as they treat this information very confidentially. Others will be all too willing to share this information as they are extremely proud of their successes and their patients are more than willing to discuss their experiences with other people who suffer from similar health issues.
5. The final way to determine whether you have found an acupuncturist who can address your specific health needs is to simply undergo a treatment. Many health issues can be improved with as a little as one acupuncture treatment. However, you should ask the doctor first what you can expect from the one treatment.

Dr. Feng Liang attended Beijing TCM College. She was educated with both traditional Chinese medicine methods (Acupuncture & Chinese herbs) as well as Western medicine methods. Dr. Liang went through a very vigorous program which consisted of over 5000 hours of study and practice over a 5 years period. She earned a Bachelor of Science medical degree (with Honors) in China which is the equivalent in the USA of someone obtaining a MD degree. Upon graduation, Dr. Liang was placed in a very famous TCM hospital in Beijing and worked as an Internist. She worked in the ER, CCU and inpatient department in the Cardio unit.

In 1994, Dr. Liang obtained her New York State License of Acupuncturist and opened in 1995 in midtown Manhattan the Fifth Avenue Acupuncture & Herb Center. She has also earned a certificate of Chinese herbology and Oriental bodywork therapy. Her unique education background, solid continuing practice, and rich knowledge in medical science have made her practice professional and successful. Patients trust her and have achieved results that they can not get from other place. Please take a moment to read the wonderful testimonials that patients have freely contributed to the Fifth Avenue Acupuncture & Herbs Clinic.