Acupuncture Awareness Month: Five Things Most People Get Wrong

What is Acupuncture Awareness Month?

Throughout September 2026, the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) is running Australia's first Acupuncture Awareness Month. It is a national campaign to help people learn how acupuncture is actually practised here, understand the professional standards behind registered practitioners, and look again at a few ideas about acupuncture that are widely held but not quite right.

We are taking part because those conversations are worth having. Below are five of the misconceptions the campaign sets out to address, with an honest note on what is settled and what is not.

Misconception one: anyone can call themselves an acupuncturist

In Australia, "acupuncturist" is a protected title under the National Law. It may be used by practitioners registered in the acupuncture division with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia, and by other registered health practitioners whose registration is endorsed for acupuncture. Registration requires an approved qualification and compliance with standards covering matters such as recency of practice, professional indemnity insurance and continuing professional development.

This is the same registration framework that covers professions such as physiotherapy and pharmacy. If you are choosing a practitioner, you can check their registration on the public AHPRA register. Our team's registration and qualifications are listed on the team page.

Misconception two: an appointment is just needles

A first appointment usually begins with a conversation, not a needle. We ask about your health, your medical history, any medications, and the reason you have come in. That discussion informs the assessment and the plan we propose, and there is time to ask questions before anything goes ahead.

Depending on your presentation and consent, a session may also involve techniques such as cupping, gua sha, moxibustion or dietary and lifestyle advice. Needling is one tool among several, and how it is used is tailored to the person in front of us.

Misconception three: acupuncture sits outside mainstream healthcare

Registered Chinese medicine practitioners are part of Australia's National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, alongside professions including physiotherapy and pharmacy. Registered acupuncturists work to national professional standards and may communicate with a patient's GP or specialist, with consent, when coordinated care is appropriate.

Misconception four: it has to hurt to do anything

Acupuncture needles are very fine, sterile and single use, and most people find insertion far less sharp than an injection or a blood test. Some points produce a dull, heavy or tingling sensation that practitioners call "de qi"; others are barely noticeable. Discomfort is not the goal and is not a marker of whether a treatment is working.

If you are anxious about needles, tell us. We can start with fewer points, use gentler technique, or use non-needle options such as low-level laser to stimulate points instead.

Misconception five: there is no research behind it

There is a substantial and growing research base, though it is uneven and the picture differs by condition. The strongest evidence is in chronic pain: a large individual patient data meta-analysis found acupuncture produced a modest but real benefit for chronic musculoskeletal pain, headache and osteoarthritis that was not explained by placebo alone.

On that basis, the UK's NICE guideline on chronic primary pain lists a course of acupuncture as an option to consider. For many other conditions the trials are smaller, of lower quality or conflicting, and it is fair to say the evidence is not yet settled. We would rather tell you that than overstate it.

How can you take part this September?

Read the campaign's "5 Things About Acupuncture Most People Get Wrong" on the Acupuncture Awareness Month page, share it with someone who has been curious about acupuncture, or bring your questions to an appointment. If you have been meaning to ask whether acupuncture is sensible for your situation, September is as good a time as any to book a consultation and find out.