Learn More about the SMAC Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ for sports medicine acupuncture information and answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding our Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification (SMAC) program. If you are looking for answers related to your C.SMA certification, please visit our C.SMA FAQ page.
There is now one track for the SMAC Program: HYBRID
The HYBRID track consists of 10 recorded webinars plus 4 live, in-person classes located on two coasts for greater access:
- Module I: Huatuojiaji Points: Vertebral Fixations and Facilitated Segments (2 days)
- Module II: The Low Back, Hip & Groin Assessment & Treatment of Injury (5 days)
- Module III: The Lower Extremity Assessment & Treatment of Injury (5 days)
- Module IV: The Neck, Shoulder and Upper Extremity Assessment & Treatment of Injury (5 days)
For those pursuing the certification track, you have two program years to complete all of the material.
To apply online SMAC Program webinars towards your SMA certification, please email [email protected] with a copy of your CE certificate.
To purchase Recorded Webinars in the HYBRID TRACK, click here.
Students pursuing the certification must complete all sections of each module either as a HYBRID or IN-PERSON. For students who have already begun taking classes all in-person, you have several options:
- If you have started taking classes within a module, but are missing only the live, in-person only Assessment & Treatment of Injury course, you only need to take that class to complete the module.
- All PIAP and MTTE classes will still count towards your certification if taken during the 2023-2024 Program
- If you have started taking classes within a module, but are missing one or two of the Anatomy, Palpation Cadaver (APC) Lab, Assessment & Treatment of the Channel Sinews (ATS or SAM) or Postural Assessment & Corrective Exercise (PACE) classes, you can complete the rest of these classes online only and then attend the live, in-person only Assessment & Treatment of Injury course on either coast.
- If you have taken only the live, in-person only Assessment & Treatment of Injury and none of the other classes in the module, you can take the rest of the classes all online.
The SMA Live, In-Person Foundational and Foundational Recorded Webinars are developed for licensed acupuncturist and students of acupuncture to learn the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and sports medicine in the assessment and treatment of many common musculoskeletal injuries.
The SMA Foundational Courses courses range from foundational SMA training, cadaver lab training, qi gong classes and more! These classes not only provide unique assessment and treatment skills, but also provoke excitement with learning new and evolved information that can be immediately applied clinically. This has been and continues to be an SMA strength.
Read the Student Reviews.
Absolutely. Participants may take individual courses in the SMAC Program and earn CEU’s / PDA’s for each course.
No. Regardless of the practitioners’ specialization, musculoskeletal injury is the most common complaint bringing patients to seek help from acupuncture. This program addresses not only the professional athlete, but anyone with a work-related or sports-related injury. Because this program is an integration of TCM and Sports Medicine, the tools the participant learns will address all age groups and varying levels of fitness.
For in-person classes, participants must be a licensed or registered acupuncturist and provide proof of having graduated from an ACAOM accredited or equivalent traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture school. They must also have a minimum of 2,000 hours of acupuncture and TCM training and provide proof of having an active license and malpractice insurance.
Acupuncture students are eligible to enroll in all online courses, but cannot attend the live, in-person Assessment & Treatment of Injury (ATI) courses due to the extensive amount of acupuncture needling.
Acupuncture students are eligible to enroll in all online courses, but cannot attend the live-in person Assessment & Treatment of Injury (ATI) courses due to the extensive amount of acupuncture needling.
Yes, live webinar registrants will be given a copy of the recording. Please note that if you are unable to attend the entire live webinar, you will be granted CEU credits only after watching the entire recording and answering a short comprehension quiz as required by the NCCAOM and California State Acupuncture Boards. Students attending the entire live webinar who have successfully checked in and out at different times throughout the live classes do not need to take a quiz, and their certificate will be provided at the completion of the live webinar once the class survey is completed.
Yes! About 8-12 weeks after the class has finished, distant learning CE’s will be granted for the class. All you have to do is contact Net of Knowledge through your portal and ask them to move the distant learning class into your portal free of charge. This will allow you to take the short comprehension quiz at the end of the webinar that shows that you watched it and your certificate will instantly downloadable. In some cases, the number of CE’s might vary slightly due to editing, but it should be minimal!
We vary the location of the SMAC Program between east and west coasts of the U.S. in order to best minimize student traveling expenses. We also offer in-person SMA Foundational classes all around the world.
Participants must complete all four modules within two program years from their start date to become licensed in Sports Medicine Acupuncture. If courses or modules are not available within a two-year window, the allowed completion time frame would be extended accordingly.
Participants may start the program at any stage of the program. The curriculum is designed with a sequential learning within each module so it is recommended to start at the beginning of a module if possible.
The following documents are needed for completion of registration. Please make sure all documents are clear, legible and saved as a JPG, PDF or Word document and upload them to our secure AcuSport Education Dropbox folder using this link https://www.dropbox.com/request/DCvhOiEUJZBd1HpeKThp
- Copy of current acupuncture license or registration.
- Copy of diploma from an ACAOM-accredited or equivalent Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture school from which you graduated. Please see the Program Requirements tab on the SMAC Overview page for more info.
- Copy of current malpractice insurance.
Follow these four easy steps:
- Go to the link
- Select from where the documents are stored
- Attach the documents
- Choose Upload
We are here to help! If you have questions about your documentation, please feel free to email us at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. If you have any issues with Dropbox, please check out this helpful link https://www.dropbox.com/help.
For students taking online webinars, we do not need proof of diploma or current licensure, but if you wish to earn CEUs, you must provide your acupuncture license number. For acupuncture students, you need only provide proof of current enrollment in an accredited acupuncture school. This document must contain your current class schedule, your name and current date.
Yes, participants enrolled for SMA Certification must pass 4 online Module exams and pass the Final Practical Exam to become a certified graduate and granted to use the Sports Medicine Acupuncture license.
Participants taking SMA courses and who are not enrolled for SMA certification do not need to take any examinations.
Acupuncture students taking SMAC classes online or as a recorded webinar do not need to take the quiz at that time since they will not need CEU’s.
Yes, all courses are approved for NCCAOM and CAB CEU’s.
Please visit our live in-person class registration page, SMAC Recorded Webinars, and our SMA Foundational Recorded Webinars pages for the CEUs associated with each class.
Please visit our About page to meet our highly qualified instructors and read their bios. To quickly find out who is teaching a particular class or section of the SMAC Program, visit the SMA Class Registration page and look at the tab labeled “Instructor.”
C.SMA are the initials the acupuncturist receives once they have become certified in Sports Medicine Acupuncture and who is licensed to use the exclusive “Sports Medicine Acupuncture®” trademark.
The cost of the program depends on how you register and whether you are purchasing HYBRID online classes as a bundle or a la carte. There are discounts for registering for the entire online portion of the module, but you can space out payments by registering and paying for one class at a time. It’s totally up to you! The cost of the online classes are on the SMAC Recorded Webinars page; the first option under each module is to register for all classes in that module at a discounted rate! You can find information regarding the cost, as well as discounts for SMA in-person classes, by visiting our SMA Class Registration page and checking the “Discounts & Coupon Code” tab on each class’ respective registration page.
For courses sponsored by AcuSport Education, repeat students receive a 10% discount if attending the same course within a two-year period.
There are a limited number of discounted seats available per class. Please register as soon as possible to take advantage of your discount!
Each individual course may be purchased separately, but discounts are available for purchasing all online classes within a module (the first option in each section on the SMAC Online Registration page). Payment plans may also be offered for in-person classes by contacting [email protected].
For in-person classes, seminar notes will be available to be downloaded within 3 days before the class starts. An email will be sent with a code to be used to grant you access to the notes for a 48-hour period of time. In addition, students will be issued a study guide three weeks prior to the class to help them prepare.
For SMAC recorded or Foundational recorded webinars, notes are included in the course.
Seminar & Certification Course
For live-gathering classes, cancellations received greater than 21 days prior to course start date may be eligible to receive a full refund, less a $50 cancellation fee and an 8% transaction fee for credit card payments. All cancellations must be made in writing and emailed to [email protected]. Cancellations made within 21 days prior to course start date are not eligible for a refund. Registrants who choose not to attend the seminar without notice will also not be eligible for a refund.
Refunds will be credited back to the original credit card used for payment or by check if applicable.
Class notes are available for 14 days after the end date of the seminar. Registrant is responsible for all shipping charges.
For live webinars, cancellations received greater than 24-hours prior to the start of the online webinar may be able to receive a full-refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee and an 8% transaction fee. Cancellations made within 24-hours will receive a 50% refund.
Partial Completions
Participants will not receive credit for any missed sessions and will not receive certificates of completion for partially completed courses.
AcuSport Education Cancellation Terms
AcuSport Education reserves the right to cancel an event due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the event non-viable. If AcuSport Education is forced to cancel an event, a full refund of the tuition paid will be granted to the registered student. AcuSport Education will not pay for travel costs incurred due to a canceled class.
TO REGISTER FOR AN ADDITIONAL CLASS IN THE SMAC PROGRAM:
Visit the SMAC Program Registration page, select the class/es you would like to add, and re-enter your contact and billing information.
Note, if you are a C.SMA practitioner wishing to register for an additional class, please make sure to log out of your account before registering for additional classes.
Note, if you are a C.SMA practitioner wishing to register for an additional class, please make sure to log out of your account before registering for additional classes.
TO MODIFY OR CANCEL YOUR EXISTING REGISTRATION:
Please email [email protected] to modify or cancel your existing registration.
Visit the Refund and Cancellation Policy tab for more details.
If you are applying recorded or online webinars towards your SMAC certification, please email [email protected] with a copy of your CE certificate and in the header of your email write APPLYING WEBINARS FOR SMA CERTIFICATION. If you have any questions, please email Patricia at [email protected].