WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)^®, the only national organization that validates entry-level competency in the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) through professional certification is promoting the 17th annual Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day (AOM Day) on Oct. 24. In honor of AOM Day, NCCAOM^® is recognizing its more than 18,000 NCCAOM National Board-Certified Acupuncturists and elevating acupuncture as a nonpharmaceutical approach to treat pain and addiction as well as many other ailments. Patients are submitting their success stories about effective acupuncture and Oriental medicine treatments at www.AOMday.org. 

“Every year, more and more patients turn to acupuncture and Oriental medicine for non-pharmaceutical options in pain management and discover the value of pill-free and patient-focused care,” said Mina Larson, M.S., MBA, CAE, CEO of NCCAOM. “AOM Day is designed to increase public awareness of the progress, promise and benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.”

Organizations Seek to Combat U.S. Opioid Epidemic through Consumer Education

To NCCAOM^®, this year’s observance of AOM Day is more than a celebration of the profession and its practitioners, it’s a call to action to address the U.S. opioid epidemic and reduce the raging abuse of prescription and illicitly obtained opioids as well as over-the-counter pain relievers. With over 60,000 (preventable) deaths per year due to opioids in this country, the acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) profession needs to work together to get the necessary visibility to provide solutions to the crisis. Drugs, including opioids, are often prescribed to deal with a patient’s pain as a first line of treatment; yet only 23 percent of patients with chronic pain found opioids to be a successful treatment choice. Acupuncture, a holistic form of treatment, has emerged in the U.S. as an evidence-based, safe, and effective method to counter opioid addiction and pain associated with various other health ailments. {http://www.nccaom.org/opioid-crisis/}

AOM Day Event Drive sponsored by NCCAOM

First celebrated in 2002, the annual AOM Day was established to bring awareness to the progress and benefits of AOM treatments. To celebrate AOM Day 2019, the NCCAOM initiated an AOM Day event drive to spread awareness regarding the benefits of acupuncture. Events will be hosted by AOM practitioners and business throughout communities across America. Visit the AOM Day Events page to find your nearest community AOM Day celebration.

About NCCAOM

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)^® is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization established in 1982. NCCAOM certification or a passing score on the NCCAOM certification examinations are documentation of competency for licensure as an acupuncturist by 46 states plus the District of Columbia which represents 98 percent of the states that regulate acupuncture. All NCCAOM certification programs are currently accredited by the National Commission for Certification Agencies (NCCA). To learn more about acupuncture can help alleviate or relieve different health conditions, visit the NCCAOM’s Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine News and Resource Center. To find an NCCAOM National Board-certified Acupuncturist in your area, click on Find a Practitioner at www.nccaom.org. For more information on AOM Day, please visit www.aomday.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Olga Cox, NCCAOM, (202) 381-1116, ocox@thenccaom.org