From its very ancient origins such medicine has been at once both preventative and curative, the ideal being to so strengthen the person's overall health and well-being that they do not get sick in the first place, or if they do fall ill to speed their recovery. One of the most attractive and distinctive features of TCM is that, from its earliest days, it has emphasised the promotion of positive health and has not restricted itself merely to the treatment of disease.

The scope and range of ailments amenable to TCM care is enormous. An indication of their type and variety can best be gleaned from looking at the booklet “Acupuncture” and the leaflet “Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine”, both published by and available from the ICTCM.

All ages of client can be catered to, from the tiny infant to the very old. Pregnant women are prime candidates for TCM and much can be done to promote both ante-natal and post-natal care of mother and baby. Those properly qualified can treat animals with TCM therapy.

TCM in general, including Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Medical Qigong can be combined with or used alongside other medical therapies and disciplines, such as western medicine.

For more information on Acupuncture click here.

The Acupuncture and TCM Profession
Over the past thirty years there has been a spectacular growth in interest in alternative forms of health care in Ireland and the world. Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and other treatment methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine have attracted great attention from both the medical profession and the general public.

An independent MORI poll showed that 33% of the population would like to try Acupuncture.

The ICTCM was founded in 1983 to meet the need for well qualified professional TCM practitioners in Ireland.

The Licentiate Courses are specifically designed to provide graduates with the skills, knowledge and confidence to set up and develop a thriving professional practice in Acupuncture and TCM or Medical Qigong.

Establishing such professional practices can be done in a number of ways:

• Some people practice from home on either a full or part time basis
• Others work in a joint practice with other Health Care providers or GPs
• While others work from separate Clinical premises or within a Hospital setting

For most graduates of the Irish College, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine becomes their only profession and its popularity in Ireland enables them to be financially successful in their own right and to enjoy both job security and job satisfaction at a time when neither can be guaranteed elsewhere.

Whatever your intention, successful completion of one of the ICTCM's main undergraduate programmes, opens up a range of viable, challenging and exciting career possibilities. It also provides automatic eligibility for entry to the Professional Register of TCM (PRTCM) which provides support to the profession.