03/11/2026
Many people are surprised to learn that Registered Acupuncturists study several hundred hours of anatomy and physiology as part of their training.
If you’ve ever been told that acupuncturists don’t study anatomy and physiology, you’re not alone.
Something came up today in a private group that reminded me of a conversation I’ve had many times over the years.
Occasionally, clients tell me they’ve been advised to see a practitioner who performs medical acupuncture or dry needling because they believe acupuncturists don’t have much biomedical training.
That statement always surprises me a little.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that many people assume acupuncture training is mostly energetic or philosophical, when in reality most acupuncture programs include several hundred hours of anatomy and physiology alongside the traditional medicine curriculum and supervised clinical practice.
Because this question comes up fairly regularly, I spent some time digging a little deeper so I could better understand the different training pathways. In doing so, I put together a comparison chart that illustrates how the educational models differ.
While there is some overlap in biomedical sciences, the training pathways and clinical frameworks around acupuncture can be quite different.
Neither approach is inherently “better” — they simply come from different training models and clinical perspectives.
Understanding these differences helps patients make more informed decisions about their care.
