[Background] The numbers of clinics and practitioners of amma (traditional Japanese massage), acupuncture, and moxibustion are officially announced in the Report on Public Health Administration and Services. How-ever, it is highly possible that these data include non-practicing therapists, and do not show the number of therapists holding more than one license. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the actual number of practicing therapists.
[Methods] We conducted a postal survey of 3, 084 therapists registered at 12 different public health centers in five prefectures including Tokyo, and asked (1) whether the therapists were still practicing at their registered clinics, and (2) how many of the three licenses (amma, acupuncture, moxibustion) they hold.
[Results] We found that 26.5 percent of the therapists were not practicing, and that 52.5 percent of people who had an amma license also had acupuncture and/or moxibustion licenses. Based on the present results, we estimate that, in 2002, there were 41, 500 amma clinics, 10, 300 acupuncture and moxibustion clinics, 71, 500 practicing amma therapists, and 54, 400 practicing acupuncturists.
[Conclusion] In conclusion, the data in tables 63 and 64 in the Report on Public Health Administration and Services should be downwardly revised in order to reflect the actual situation of the relevant clinics and practitioners.