Acupuncture practice acts: a profession's growing pains

State legislation that authorizes any healthcare profession is known as the Practice Act. In order for a profession to establish a recognizable national presence and be integrated into mainstream medicine, all the state Practice Acts must evidence consistency. The extent to which state Practice Acts fail to exhibit consistency can inhibit the ability of the profession to grow and become successful. We looked at the histories of other health professions, along with the 45 acupuncture Practice Acts in the USA, in order to understand the time worn paths that lead to integration in the mainstream and how the acupuncture profession might benefit.