In October 1975 the Finnish Medical Board established that acupuncture is a medical physical therapy and limited its use to authorized doctors and dentists. Later on also veterinarians were admitted to use acupuncture. The Medical Board was reorganized and acupuncture is now deregulated in Finland. Many people without basic education in healthcare are giving acupuncture treatment in Finland. The care that authorized doctors and healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists and nurses provide, is supervised by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health. The care given in healthcare is for the patient protected by "patient-accident insurance". There is no law regulating which profession may use acupuncture as treatment.

In December 1972 the Finnish Medical Acupuncture Society was founded. The organization educates doctors and from 1995 also physiotherapists. Finland's Physiotherapist Acupuncture Association was founded in 1998. The aim of the association is to gather physiotherapists practising acupuncture and to develop, improve and promote acupuncture as treatment as well as arranging further education. The association currently has 260 members.

Nowadays we also talk about trigger point acupuncture in muscles pain spots. This method distinguishes from traditional acupuncture. The method implies that the tense area of the muscle is relaxed by inserting an acupuncture needle directly into the tense muscle fiber.

Seppo Junnila is the only one in Finland who has defended a doctor's thesis in acupuncture: Acupuncture as treatment of pain at a care center (Junnila 1981). Other published Finnish acupuncture studies during the 1970's has authors as Lilius, Pöntinen, Laitinen, Hakamies, Suonpää.

Birgitta Ojala
The President of Finland Physiotherapy Acupuncture Association