Educating the Public about Acupuncture: Using the Five Elements

Dr. Sina Smith is a licensed acupuncturist, medical doctor, teacher, and author who combined the practice of Eastern and Western medicine for more than 15 years. Dr. Smith is the primary author of The State of 21st Century Acupuncture in the United States, which was published in the Journal of Pain Research in 2024. Integrating her deep understanding of these medical systems to optimize the patient experience, Dr. Smith has developed a method for bridging eastern and western knowledge that is rooted in the Five Elements. In this presentation, Dr. Smith will share her approach and demonstrate how practitioners can use the five elements to explain the mechanism of acupuncture in a way that is more easily understood by those raised in the western healthcare system. Join us to learn how you can better and more confidently communicate with your patients and with other healthcare providers, broadening your impact while advocating for our profession.