Dear CSOMA Community,
We are thrilled to announce as of TODAY 5/28/26, AB2497 has been defeated:
AB 2497 did not pass the assembly floor vote today
They needed 41 yay votes and only got 25
PT strategy is to keep coming back. We remain vigilant and proactive on this issue. Join the Winning Team here at CSOMA so we can stay strong in our fight to keep acupuncture needles in the hands of licensed acupuncturists!
Next: ensuring Medi-Cal benefits for acupuncture remain intact.
In other news:
June 9: Dan Bensky: Utility of Palpation in Traditional East Asian Medicine Webinar
Sept 24-25/Thurs-Fri, CSOMA Fall Conference in Oakland — Save the Date!
Dan Bensky: Utility of Palpation in Traditional East Asian Medicine
When: Tuesday, June 9 | 7-9PM PST
Where: Online --> Register here
CEUs: 2 CAB(Category 1)
Registration: $32 for CSOMA Members, $80 for non-members, $0/FREE! No-credit option
Meet the speaker: Dan Bensky, D.O. My qualifications include a diploma in Chinese medicine from the Macau Institute of Chinese Medicine (1975), a DO from Michigan State University COM (1982), a Masters in Classical Chinese from the University of Washington (1996), and a Doctorate in the Discussion of Cold Damage from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (2006). I have helped write such books as Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica and the Discussion of Cold Damage with Commentaries for the Clinic. I have been fortunate enough to study with great osteopathic teachers including Jean-Pierre Barral and Robert Fulford and have been sharing what I’ve learned for over 40 years.
About the class: Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) is a dynamic tradition that, while largely text-based, requires genuine engagement rather than rigid adherence to protocols. The gentle diagnostic touch of palpation can serve as a crucial tool for helping patients with TEAM. Course objectives include:
Understanding our approach to TEAM's core conceptual framework
Understanding the ramifications of the concept that "the response is the treatment"
Understanding some of the basic parameters of effective palpation in acupuncture.
Identifying the phenomena of overtreatment and know how to respond.
Learning some of the styles of acupuncture that focus on palpation and how to access ways to learn them.
Understanding the basics of the Engaging Vitality technique called "Qi Signal Assessment" and how to practice it.
Save the Date!
Sept 24-25/Thurs-Fri, CSOMA Fall Conference in Oakland
CSOMA 2026 Events
Thank you for reading,
CSOMA
CSOMA Partners
CSOMA is grateful to the partners who support our work and the broader acupuncture community. Their partnership helps sustain our advocacy and education efforts. Please support them!
