As seen on NJ.com courtesy of NJAAOM
Photo courtesy of Jason Sargis President NJAAOM
A Cedar Grove businessman pushed to protect the integrity of his industry and the safety of acupuncture patients.
Jason Sargis, who has owned Total Acupuncture on Pompton Avenue in Cedar Grove since 2015, serves as president of the New Jersey Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The organization 鈥渇ought tirelessly鈥� to ensure that only licensed acupuncturists could perform the procedure, as opposed to physical therapists, according to a release.
After years of debate, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office recently ruled that physical therapists cannot perform intramuscular stimulation or dry needling with acupuncture needles, the release stated.
Sargis said he and his colleagues are happy with the decision.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e kind of like, 鈥楢ll right, this clears away any gray from any sort of argument,鈥欌�� Sargis聽said. 鈥淲e felt physical therapists cannot break skin. Nothing in the law allows them to do that.鈥�
The debate started in 2006 when a licensed physical therapist sought the Physical Therapy Board鈥檚 opinion as to whether intramuscular stimulation fell within its聽realm of treatment, according to the release, which stated that, at that time, the board indicated that physical therapy excludes invasive procedures.
In 2009, the topic arose again, and this time, despite the absence of any legislative change, the board indicated that nothing in the rules and regulations prohibited licensed physical therapists from dry needling, if they had proper training, the release continued.
This caused Sargis鈥� board to seek the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office, which聽eventually ruled in the board’s聽favor. There was a lot of waiting involved in the decision, he said, but he is happy with the result.
Sargis, a Paterson native, started practicing acupuncture in 2008 after earning his doctorate degree from Portland College of Oriental Medicine. He also received a master鈥檚 degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and his bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from the University of Chicago.
He originally wanted to enter the oceanography field, but when funding fell through on a program he was planning to attend, he switched gears. Sargis had experience with kung fu and Asian聽culture, so he said transitioning to acupuncture was organic.
The practice of acupuncture continues to grow, said Sargis. He saw it at his own business, and through the amount of licenses that have been given out.
鈥淎cupuncture definitely gives people an option in terms of non-pharmacological help for whatever their ailments are,鈥� Sargis said. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e talking about muscular skeletal pain, you鈥檙e talking about helping to cope with stress, anxiety, emotional issues, or you鈥檙e talking about digestive issues, whatever it is, we can treat that with acupuncture.鈥�
