Is Acupuncturist actually your fit?

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Acupuncturist

Healthcare

Acupuncturists in India work at the intersection of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the country's AYUSH regulatory framework — a space that is legally grey but clinically active. Entry routes are either a Diploma or Master's in TCM from a Chinese university (Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou TCM universities) followed by AYUSH registration, or certification from the Indian Council of Acupuncture (ICA) or state-level AYUSH bodies. Practice spans integrative medicine departments at AIIMS New Delhi and AIIMS Raipur, Bharat Sevashram Sangha charitable hospitals, private integrative clinics in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi, and solo practices where TCM-trained practitioners treat musculoskeletal pain, infertility, GI disorders, and headache. MoAYUSH partially recognises acupuncture under its umbrella, but no standalone national licence exists — practitioners typically register as AYUSH or use ICA certification, and must work alongside or under referral from MBBS/AYUSH physicians in hospital settings. The profession sits in an expanding demand window: a 2023 AIIMS integrative oncology programme and growing sports-medicine adoption are formalising acupuncture's clinical footprint faster than its regulatory framework.