Job Description

Description

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and acupuncturists assess, treat and prevent diseases, conditions, disorders or imbalances of patients’ using various forms of treatment including acupuncture, herbology or other holistic health approaches. They usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres and health clubs.

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners
• Diagnose within the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine the diseases, physiological disorders and injuries of patients
• Explain procedures, risks and benefits of treatments to patients
• Prescribe and administer treatment such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), scraping (Gua Sha), cupping therapy, moxibustion, acupressure, and auriculotherapy
• May prescribe and administer Chinese manipulative therapy (Tui Na), energy control therapy (Qi Gong) and laser therapy
• May suggest home care instructions and provide information about life therapies including energy control therapy (Qi Gong), Chinese shadow boxing (Tai Ji Quan) and Chinese food cure recipes (Shi Liao)
• Maintain patient records
• Prescribe and administer treatment using raw or granule herbs and other medicines or dietary supplements
• May collaborate with other health care professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians and psychologists when developing treatment plans for patients.
• Acupuncturists
• Diagnose symptoms, imbalances, physiological disorders and injuries of patients according to Chinese medicine traditions
• Educate patients on risks and benefits of treatments
• Develop and implement treatment plans including acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping, scraping or electrical current
• Evaluate and document patients' progress
• May provide dietary and lifestyle advice including information on life therapies such as energy control therapy (Qi Gong)
• May develop treatment plans in collaboration with other health care professionals.