A buyer's guide
How to find a genuinely good acupuncturist near you.
The best acupuncturist near you is the one whose license you can verify, whose credentials match the problem you have, and who tells you plainly what the evidence supports. This page gives you the four questions that say more than any review page, and answers each one for this practice.
Treated by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: How to choose a good acupuncturist near you: license types, credentials, red flags and the questions to ask. Central Florida clinic. Call 352-430-2720. Licences, credentials, and the four questions that tell you more than any review page will.
Not all "acupuncture" is performed by acupuncturists
This is the single most useful thing to know before you book. In many states, several different professions may insert needles under quite different training requirements, and the phrase used on the sign does not tell you which one you are getting.
In Florida, the full license is Acupuncture Physician (AP), which requires a master's or doctoral level program, a state licensure examination, and ongoing continuing education. Many holders are also NCCAOM board certified, the national credential, and some hold a DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine). Separately, physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists in various states may perform needling under much shorter certification — often a weekend to a few hundred hours — and that is usually called dry needling rather than acupuncture.
Neither is automatically wrong. Dry needling by a good physical therapist can be excellent for a trigger point. But if you are seeking acupuncture for neuropathy, digestive complaints, or a complex chronic pain picture, the depth of training matters, and you are entitled to ask exactly which credential the person holds.
Ask who is holding the needle and what license they hold. A clinic that finds this question awkward has answered it.
Credentials, decoded
What the letters after a name actually mean, and what to expect from each.
| Credential | What it means | Typical training |
|---|---|---|
| AP (Florida) | Licensed Acupuncture Physician, the full state license | Master's or doctoral program plus state board examination |
| LAc | Licensed Acupuncturist, the equivalent title in most other states | Master's level program plus licensure |
| NCCAOM certified | National board certification, requires ongoing education | National board examinations |
| DOM / DAOM | Doctor of Oriental Medicine or doctoral level acupuncture degree | Doctoral level program |
| Dry needling certificate | A needling technique, not an acupuncture license | Commonly a weekend to a few hundred hours |
| MD with medical acupuncture | A physician with added acupuncture training | Typically a few hundred hours alongside medical training |
Four questions to ask on the phone
- "What license do you hold, and are you NCCAOM board certified?"A direct question with a direct answer. If it takes three sentences to avoid, you have learned something.
- "Have you treated many cases like mine?"Volume in your specific problem matters more than general experience. Neuropathy, tendon injury, and migraine are genuinely different clinical work.
- "How will we know whether it is working, and when do we decide?"A good clinic names a checkpoint, usually four to six visits, and a measure. A clinic that cannot is not planning to stop.
Red flags
Claims to cure cancer, reverse neuropathy, or replace medication. Pressure to stop a prescription. No named licensed clinician on the website. No scenario in which treatment ends.
If your search is in Central Florida
Our practice is at 910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162, in The Villages. Dr. Christopher Cheshire holds MS, AP, LAc, DOM and is NCCAOM board certified; Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD, provides medical oversight, which is what allows point injections and medically supervised therapies here.
We see patients from The Villages, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Ocala, Wildwood, Summerfield, Oxford, and Belleview. The first appointment is a free twenty minute consultation — and you are welcome to spend it asking the four questions above.
910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162, The Villages, FL 32162 · Mon–Thu 7 AM–3 PM, Fri 7 AM–12 PM · Directions
Frequently asked
Does a referral get me a better acupuncturist?
Not necessarily, and Florida does not require one. A referral from a physician you trust is still a useful signal.
Are online reviews reliable?
Somewhat, if they are on an independent platform such as Google and describe specific conditions and outcomes. Testimonials that exist only on a clinic's own website tell you very little.
Is acupuncture safe?
In trained hands, serious adverse events are rare. Training is the variable, which is why the credential question matters.
What conditions is it best supported for?
Chronic pain conditions have the strongest evidence base, particularly low back and neck pain, knee osteoarthritis pain, and headache. See our conditions page for what we treat and our acupuncture page for how.
Patient Reviews
What patients say on Google.
Dr. Cheshire is rated 4.6 of 5 on Healthgrades from 11 patient ratings as of October 2026 (Healthgrades profile). The quotes above are from Google.
Further reading: Florida Department of Health: license verification · NCCAOM: find a certified practitioner.
Start Here
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Free twenty minute consultation in The Villages. Ask the hard questions first — we would rather you did.