Acupuncture Surveys
Acupuncture
in medical practice
Members of a medical
acupuncture society (whose members as opposed to the British Acupuncture
Council which covers traditional acupuncture treatment) were circulated by
postal questionnaire to enquire into their acupuncture practice.
Over half the replies were from
general practitioners, with one third from anaesthetists. Most practitioners
were using acupuncture for musculo-skeletal and general pain; a large
variety of conditions were reported as responding well by small numbers of
practitioners, but others regarded these same conditions as being resistant
to treatment.
The report suggests that this was due
to inadequate training, particularly for non-painful disease which requires
a more traditional and less Westernised approach. The British Medical
Acupuncture Society has since modified its teaching structure to take
account of this finding.
Acupuncture is more popular with
middle-aged patients and, while medical referrals are common, surveys
suggest that most patients self-refer on the recommendation of friends and
relations, although often not until they have tried other therapies.
However, once patients have experienced acupuncture, they are more likely to
consult an acupuncturist as the initial treatment of choice with any future
health problems.
The majority (75%) of medical
acupuncturists see less than 250 patients a year, and almost 50% see less
than 100. Most are conventional doctors (GPs) who use acupuncture for
particular problems in suitable patients.
Simon Hayhoe and Hillary Box
A Question on Medical Acupuncture Practice. Acupuncture in Medicine November
1997 Vol 15 No. 2 - Page 96
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Acupuncture
cuts hospital drugs bill
Anesthetists from the University of Heidelberg
have found that acupuncture can not only help relieve the symptoms of
bronchial asthma, but it also seems to reduce the hospital’s drugs bill in
the process.
Patients who participated in
the experiment were examined and treated by doctors and students of the
anesthesiologic department. Improvements in the participants’ peak flow
ratios were recorded, and most reported that they felt better.
Schott C, et al.
Erfahrungsheikunde, 1996; 45: 5-9
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Acupuncture
could save NHS millions
Offering selected patients acupuncture
instead of referring them to hospital could save the NHS millions of pounds
a year according to research carried out by Dr Steven Lindall, a GP and
medical acupuncturist in London.
Dr Lindall, a BMAS accredited
member, will present a paper to the British Medical Acupuncture Society’s
autumn scientific meeting in London on 2nd October showing how he alone
saved the NHS a minimum of £14,000 over 18 months. 65 selected patients who
came to see him with painful conditions (mainly musculo-skeletal in nature),
and who were requesting referral to a specialist, were offered acupuncture
treatment as an alternative.
In addition to the large
financial saving to the NHS, a success rate of over 75% was achieved. Over a
third reported being completely free of pain at follow-up. An additional
advantage was the opportunity to offer patients immediate treatment instead
of an often long wait for a hospital appointment. One patient was removed
from the hospital waiting list for a total knee replacement as a result of
her successful acupuncture treatment.
The BMAS calls for increased
research funding to explore further the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture
and its place in today’s NHS.
Source: The British Medical
Acupuncture Society
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