Most Oriental Medical Colleges in the United States teach "Traditional Chinese Medicine" (TCM). Dr. Kindred's Oriental Medical College taught "5-Element Acupuncture". The latter is a holistic system using the cyclic movement patterns of nature to diagnose and treat a patient's body, mind, and spirit. The Five-Element system is particularly suited to preventing health problems by diagnosing subtle disturbances it is able to identify well before Western medicine can find anything wrong. This is very useful for annual health screening exams and also identifies when follow-up treatment is indicated. In this system, acupuncture aims to erase the record of tension that has accumulated in the meridians over the year(s).

Acupuncture works to enhance the flow of vitality, or Qi (pronounced like chee), throughout the body. Treatment can be "local," at the site of a sprain for example, or "systemic," as when rehabilitating a blood sugar disorder. It can also be aimed at the psyche as well as the body in cases of stress related problems. There are numerous systems of acupuncture. Each system has some unique exam parameters and treatment protocols. In a comprehensive exam six different systems are evaluated. The strongest signs of Qi blockages from each system are included in the patient's diagnosis to ensure the core of a problem is thoroughly identified.

Five-element acupuncture evaluates for disturbances in organ systems by assessing color, sound, odor, and emotional presentation of a patient, according to the Law of 5 Elements and its map of the bodymind connection. Blockage in Qi circulation is also identified from the pulse exam as entry/exit blocks between meridians or blocks in the cycling of the 5 Elements. Treatment is designed to "tune-up" distressed organ Qi, clear blockages, and reestablish and stabilize Qi function throughout the body.