When a hound goes crazy at the base of a tree which does not hold the quarry, he is barking up the wrong tree.  If he’s just a pet and you’re no hunter the only harm done is annoyed neighbors.  If, however, you depend on a successful hunt to feed your family, you’ve wasted a day, exhausted yourself and your dog, taught prey to avoid the area, and your family goes hungry.

I hope you’ll join me as I explore how the “Acupuncture Profession” has done a lot of barking up the wrong tree over the past few decades.  Most of us who make a living (or try to) in the field of Acupuncture and Chinese/East Asian/Oriental Medicine have some strong feelings about what should be done to “save” the profession.  We may believe we know who and what is to blame for our current predicament.  My experience is that we are often wrong.  That much of our struggle is due to self-inflicted wounds.  And that with a little more thought and exploration we could become far more effective “hunters” than we have been.

I don’t intend for this to be about blame.  I’ve been a part of the establishment over the years, and met many dedicated, hard-working, well-intentioned people .  I’ve on the Virginia Advisory Board on Acupuncture for the past eight years.   I spent many, many, years on the board of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia, and I even did a short-lived stint on the board of the AAAOM.  This is not about “them,” it is about us — what we believe – is it correct?  What are our options, what are the consequences of our actions?  I hope we can explore the path forward informed by the past, but not wearing the past like a pair of cement shoes.