Acupuncture in developed countries

2nd Report: The acupuncture system in the United States, South Korea, and Japan

Abstract

[Introduction] This study explored acupuncture systems in the United States, South Korea, and Japan. We analyzed the survey results to examine the tasks pertinent to the expansion and development of the acupuncture system in Japan. [Method] Search engines such as pubmed.gov, scholar.google.com and google.com were used to search for publications from the United States, South Korea, and Japan. The search terms included "acupuncture," "regulation," "license," "education," and "survey." [Results] The prevalence of acupuncture is decreasing in Japan and increasing in the United States. Among the three countries, acupuncture and moxibustion are the most frequently used in South Korea. Acupuncture is a regulated practice in 47 states and the District of Columbia in the United States and it is considered to be within the scope of practice of physicians in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Since 2020, the United States Federal Government has started to cover the costs for acupuncture treatment under the health insurance system for the elderly if certain conditions are met. In South Korea, the Korean Health Care System, which includes traditional medicine, was enacted by law, Korean doctors can administer treatments in Korean Medicine, including acupuncture, with treatment covered by public health insurance. In the United States, it is estimated that 10,000 physicians have received training in acupuncture. Moreover, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, a professional society of physicians, has more than 1,300 members. The number of acupuncture license holders was 37,886 in 2018. In South Korea, there were 23,845 Korean Medicine doctors in 2016. [Conclusion] Including the previous report, only Japan, out of the six countries surveyed, was found not to employ acupuncture as a medical practice at medical facilities. Japan has less information on acupuncture as a medical treatment than other countries, and acupuncture is not recognized as a medical treatment by the Japanese people; this is one of the reasons for the decreasing prevalence of acupuncture. It is important to consider the following four tasks to develop the acupuncture system in Japan: 1) providing acupuncture at medical facilities so that people can recognize it as a medical treatment, 2) measures taken by acupuncturists for ensuring the future of acupuncture at medical facilities, 3) identifying the role of acupuncture in medical facilities, and 4) improving acupuncture education for physicians and acupuncturists.