Traditional acupuncture is very different from western medical acupuncture or dry needling as it is sometimes referred to. These forms of acupuncture do not use acupuncture holistically i.e they are not focusing on treating the root cause of the problem. British Acupuncture Council's Traditional acupuncturists undergo 3 years of training at degree level and at least 30 hours of continuous practitioner development per year. This is in contrast with western medical practitioners that can provide acupuncture following a weekend course. Gp's, physiotherapists osteopaths, midwives and NHS pain clinic staff generally are trained in this way.