The integration of acupuncture within medicine in the UK--the British Medical Acupuncture Society's 25th anniversary.
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Acupuncture was first used in China, probable about 2000 years ago. When acupuncture first arrived in the West in the 17th century, the principles which the Chinese had used to explain its actions were at variance with current scientific knowledge of the body's structure and function. This led to the rejection of acupuncture by the medical profession in the UK, although individual practitioners adopted it with enthusiasm, usually needling the point of maximal tenderness to treat musculoskeletal pain. Acupuncture was more generally accepted in France and Germany, where the pioneering British physician Felix Mann encountered it in the 1950s. He then taught acupuncture to other medical practitioners and organised regular meetings in London, from which the British Medical Acupuncture Society, BMAS, emerged in 1980. The tradition of biannual scientific meetings has continued since then. The Society has many connections with prominent acupuncturists internationally and is a founder member of the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART), and has hosted two world congresses. The Society was involved in standardisation of the meridian nomenclature published in 1990. The Society's scientific journal, Acupuncture in Medicine, was founded in 1981 and has gained international recognition, being indexed on several databases. The Society has established regular teaching courses at different levels, which lead to professional qualifications of Certificate and Diploma. The membership is now open to different health professionals, has grown steadily and now stands at nearly 2500. The Society is administered from offices in Cheshire and London. Many individual members have contributed to the Society's characteristic Western 'medical' approach to acupuncture in which needling is seen as a form of neuromuscular stimulation that owes little to traditional meridians or points. The Society has shown a particular interest in acupuncture for myofascial trigger point pain. Members of the Society have contributed to the evidence base of acupuncture with several books, clinical trials and reviews. The Society is optimistic that it will have an increasingly important role in promoting the use and scientific evaluation of acupuncture for the public benefit. (+info)
Perioperative acupuncture and related techniques.
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Acupuncture and related techniques are increasingly practiced in conventional medical settings, and the number of patients willing to use these techniques is increasing. Despite more than 30 yr of research, the exact mechanism of action and efficacy of acupuncture have not been established. Furthermore, most aspects of acupuncture have yet to be adequately tested. Therefore, considerable controversy remains about the role of acupuncture in clinical medicine. Acupuncture apparently does not reduce volatile anesthetic requirement by a clinically important amount. However, preoperative sedation seems to be a promising application of acupuncture in perioperative settings. Acupuncture may be effective for postoperative pain relief but requires a high level of expertise by the acupuncture practitioner. Acupuncture and related techniques can be used for treatment and prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting in routine clinical practice in combination with or as an alternative to conventional antiemetics when administered before induction of general anesthesia. (+info)
Protective action of acupuncture and moxibustion on gastric mucosa in model rats with chronic atrophic gastritis.
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OBJECTIVE: To probe the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in atrophic gastritis so as to provide a basis for clinical treatment. METHOD: Observe the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion at the points of Zusanli, Zhongwan and Tianshu on gastric mucosa in model rats with chronic atrophic gastritis. RESULTS: Acupuncture and moxibustion can increase the contents of PGE2alpha, PGF2alpha and cAMP, and decrease the content of cGMP in the tissue of gastric mucosa. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and moxibustion shows cytoprotection on gastric mucosa, so it is an effective method for treating chronic atrophic gastritis. (+info)
Homeopathy and acupuncture teaching at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo: the undergraduates' attitudes.
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CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Homeopathy and acupuncture, although recognized as medical specializations in Brazil, are not taught in most medical schools. The objective was to evaluate undergraduate attitudes towards them following their inclusion as optional disciplines at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMUSP) in 2002. DESIGN AND SETTING: Questionnaire, at FMUSP. METHODS: 484 students answered a self-administered questionnaire on these therapies, regarding their interest in learning, the teaching methods, their knowledge/experience (or that of someone close to them) and how it was acquired, the main indicators and general effectiveness of these therapies, and the possibilities for offering and integrating them within public healthcare units. RESULTS: Over 85% of the students considered that homeopathy and acupuncture should be included in curricula, as options (72%) or compulsorily (19%); 56% showed great interest in learning about them. Although 76% had little or no knowledge, 67% believed that these therapies had some effectiveness, and that chronic diseases (37%) or even chronic and acute diseases (29%) would be the main indicators for their use. Around 35% were receptive towards offering public primary care using both therapies, while 34% thought these treatments should also be available in hospitals and 60% believed they could be integrated with conventional medical practices. CONCLUSION: The medical students were interested in learning the principles of homeopathy and acupuncture, were able to observe and report on the effectiveness of these treatments and defended the use of these medical specializations within public healthcare. (+info)
Acupuncture in haemodialysis patients at the Quchi (LI11) acupoint for refractory uraemic pruritus.
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BACKGROUND: Uraemic pruritus is a common problem in end-stage renal failure patients. Traditional therapies produce marginal or no results. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective. The aim of this randomized, controlled study was to validate a single acupoint for relieving uraemic pruritus. METHODS: We randomized 40 patients with refractory uraemic pruritus into two groups. In group 1 (n = 20), acupuncture was applied unilaterally at the Quchi (LI11) acupoint thrice weekly for 1 month. In group 2 (controls, n = 20), acupuncture was applied at a non-acupoint 2 cm lateral to Quchi (LI11) thrice weekly for 1 month. Subjects responded to a pruritus score questionnaire given before and at the end of the 1 month treatment and at a 3 months follow-up. The results of the pruritus scores were analysed with the repeated measures general linear model to examine the effect of acupuncture on pruritus scores. RESULTS: In group 1, pruritus scores before and after acupuncture and at the 3 month follow-up were 38.3+/-4.3, 17.3+/-5.5 and 16.5+/-4.9, and in group 2 (controls) they were 38.3+/-4.3, 37.5+/-3.2 and 37.1+/-5, respectively. Laboratory tests showed no significant differences between the two groups. Pruritus scores were significantly lower after acupuncture and at the 3 month follow-up, P<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture at the Quchi (LI11) acupoint is an easy, safe and effective means of relieving uraemic pruritus. (+info)
Effects of acupuncturing Tsusanli (ST36) on expression of nitric oxide synthase in hypothalamus and adrenal gland in rats with cold stress ulcer.
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AIM: To study the protective effect of acupuncturing Tsusanli (S(T)36) on cold stress ulcer, and the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in hypothalamus and adrenal gland. METHODS: Ulcer index in rats and RT-PCR were used to study the protective effect of acupuncture on cold stress ulcer, and the expression of NOS in hypothalamus and adrenal gland. Images were analyzed with semi-quantitative method. RESULTS: The ulcer index significantly decreased in rats with stress ulcer. Plasma cortisol concentration was up regulated during cold stress, which could be depressed by pre-acupuncture. The expression of NOS1 in hypothalamus increased after acupuncture. The increased expression of NOS2 was related with stress ulcer, which could be decreased by acupuncture. The expression of NOS3 in hypothalamus was similar to NOS2, but the effect of acupuncture was limited. The expression of NOS2 and NOS3 in adrenal gland increased after cold stress, only the expression of NOS1 could be repressed with acupuncture. There was no NOS2 expression in adrenal gland in rats with stress ulcer. CONCLUSION: The protective effect of acupuncturing Tsusanli (S(T)36) on the expression of NOS in hypothalamus and adrenal gland can be achieved. (+info)
A model for acupuncture training in primary care.
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A recent innovation in acupuncture training at a clinic in a primary care practice is reported. The trainer is a General Practitioner within the practice and the trainee an academic nurse. The semi-structured training programme is outlined and benefits and challenges to both trainer and trainee are discussed. The patients generally welcomed the scheme. We consider that the programme could provide a model for similar-training initiatives in the future. (+info)
Effect of acupuncture on intraocular pressure in normal dogs.
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The effect of acupuncture on intraocular pressure (IOP) was evaluated in normal dogs. After determination of baseline pressure, acupuncture was applied at 3 acupoints (LI-4, LIV-3 and GB-37) for 20 min. After acupuncture treatment, IOP were significantly lowered 2.7 +/- 0.1 in left eye, 1.7 +/- 0.7 in right eye, respectively (p<0.05). From these results of this study, an acupuncture therapy may be valuable treatment for decreasing on IOP in dogs. (+info)