Jason Bussell
Jason Bussell is the President of the Illinois Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I meet him on a cold and windy day--the first of many snowy Chicago days to come this year. We meet at the Tiffani Kim Institute and I am immediately calmed by the tidy, but welcoming, feel of the building. The Institute is also a MedSpa, so there is a slightly increased feeling of sterility over some other spas. But when is cleanliness a bad thing?
Bussell offers me a cup of "the best green tea" ever and we sit down to talk. It's clear that Bussell is passionate about his work--to the point that he married another acupuncturist (Jeanie Lee). The two work together though they have different specialties.
Bussell is glad that acupuncture is increasingly becoming mainstream. What he's not so happy about is the amount of people that are practicing acupuncture without being thoroughly trained. Basically, he says, if you're trained as a physician you're allowed to practice acupuncture. But, he adds, physicians are only required to do the bare minimum of educational hours, clocking in at well under the 3000-hour program dedicated acupuncturists attend. Many acupuncturists, like Bussell, often take it upon themselves to also study abroad in countries like China.
"It's like having your taxes done by a C.P.A., or by someone who took one undergraduate class in accounting," Bussell says. "Only a real acupuncturist will have the training to know the best points to choose, how to needle them most effectively, etc. The human body is immensely complex. Every symptom can come from at least two different imbalances; each requiring a different treatment."
To become a licensed acupuncturist, one must attend a three-four year course, in excess of 2000 hours. Chiropractors typically get 100-300 hours in training in acupuncture; and MD's get none. Unfortunately, many patients think they are receiving true acupuncture from these other types of providers, get poor results, and then conclude that "acupuncture doesn't work," Bussell says.
Bussell doesn't want any negative experiences with acupuncture to slow the growth of the acceptance here in the United States. More and more Westerners are coming round to the idea of preventative and holistic care. Still, Bussell says, many people are afraid of needles. Bussell and his wife set up a booth once a year to give away free acupuncture just to prove to folks that the needles are tiny. In fact, 14 acupuncture needles could fit into one hypodermic needle.
In China acupuncture in primarily used to prevent illness, but here in the states it's all about treatment. Many people visit acupuncturists for pain or infertility. Unfortunately, Bussell says, it's usually a last ditch effort. He looks forward to a time when the practice is higher on people's list of treatment options.
In a perfect world, he says, you would see your acupuncturist four times a year--once at each change of season. A simple hour-long visit would prepare you for any illnesses or pain that might come your way.
You can find a licensed acupuncturist here.
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