Labs are distinctive features of AOM Professional's Certification program, designed for development and retention of skills through review of anatomy and kinesiology and hands-on, guided practice of physical exam and treatment.
Anatomy Labs for Acupuncturists
Prepare to get the most out of the Spine & Extremities classes through advance review of clinical anatomy and kinesiology, using guided inspection, palpation, and movement for experiential learning and skill development. Anatomy Labs are not required for Certification, and are usually offered the day before the Spine & Extremities modules for each of 5 body regions: Head, Neck, Thorax; Shoulder, Arm, Hand; Low Back, Pelvic Girdle and Core; Hip, Thigh, Knee; Calf, Ankle, Foot.
Practicum Labs
Apply, reinforce, and expand upon challenging topics areas from the Spine & Extremities modules. Practicum Labs feature treatment and discussion of challenging cases in a grand rounds setting and demonstrate integration of material into practical clinical flow.
*** Note: Practicum Labs are open only to students who have completed the prior associated didactic class. ***
Practicum Labs feature hands-on supervised practice of:
- Orthopedic exam techniques and functional capacity evaluation
- Range-of-motion: active, passive, and joint-play/end-feel testing
- Muscle strength and length testing
- Orthopedic and neurologic special tests
- Treatment of specific tissues, injuries and conditions, with
- Myofascial trigger point acupuncture
- Joint stabilization and mobilization ("prolo-") acupuncture
- Electroacupuncture
- Neural prolo-acupuncture
- 7-star, lancet, and 3-edged needling
- Distant acupuncture
- Myofascial gua sha
- Tui na and other manual therapies
- Advanced cupping methods for orthopedic conditions
- Exercise therapy, postural and ergonomics re-training
- Taping techniques
Actual curriculum varies by body region, and by student requests for assistance with areas of particular technical difficulty.
Required for Certification in Acupuncture Orthopedics:
- Head, Neck, Thorax: Practicum Lab (8 hours)
- Shoulder, Arm, Hand: Practicum Lab (8 hours)
- Low Back. Core and Pelvic Girdle: Practicum Lab (8 hours)
- Hip, Thigh, Knee: Practicum Lab (8 hours)
- Calf, Ankle, Foot: Practicum Lab (8 hours)
Please note that for Certification in Acupuncture Orthopedics, each Practicum Lab must be taken once following completion of the associated didactic Spine & Extremities module when taken as an in-person class, and twice if the didactic module was taken as a webinar or distance-learning class.
