Doctors, excuse me, CHIROPRACTORS, using "Biomedical Acupuncture" as a Loophole for Practice

And not just chiropractors. Dentists, occupational therapists, physicians, and physiotherapists can all get on the medical acupuncture bandwagon. Some of these programs range from a whopping underwhelming 300 hour certificate to a dismal weekend course. Of course the proponents of this farce claim that acupuncture theory is too esoteric because it does not rely on sound anatomy and physiology.

Funny, I took A&P as well as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, lab data, western physical exam, nutrition, psychology, surface anatomy, and western pathology when I was in school. And those were not even 25% of my nearly 3000 hour graduate program!

But of course, this is all old news. The Medical Acupuncture Association has been around for ten years. And this is hardly the first time I have ranted about other disciplines encroaching on our territory without proper training.

What has me hot under the collar this time is the claim TCM is anecdotal while biomedical acupuncture is scientific - check out this zinger of a story.

The fact these "dry needling" techniques they teach in these seminars stems from over 3000 years of acupuncture theory and practice is apparently of no consequence. Oh yes, it is okay to jab needles into muscles and random trigger points (that's ashi points, those that have a real education in acupuncture know that already) and claim it has a "real" effect because it is causing a micro-trauma that stimulates the body's healing response. Not like that qi stuff that stimulates the body's healing response, no sir. When the point is needled, you are feeling the exact same sensations whether you call it a major quadratus lumborum trigger point or "Pi Gen," the difference is that in TCM, you are not just treating the branch symptom, you are treating the root cause.

The other reason I am so irritated is I just know insurance is going to start covering this nonsense. I already live in a state where legitimate acupuncturists cannot get in-network but at least chiropractors are banned, in theory, from practicing acupuncture without an acupuncture license for the moment (although they STILL put themselves in the phonebook under "physicians MD and osteopaths OD").

While the AAAOM is working to get professional parity through supposed acupuncture doctoral programs, our profession, which still does not have a national title and basic scope of practice, may just get pulled out from under us.

Doctors, excuse me, CHIROPRACTORS, using "Biomedical Acupuncture" as a Loophole for Practice

And not just chiropractors. Dentists, occupational therapists, physicians, and physiotherapists can all get on the medical acupuncture bandwagon. Some of these programs range from a whopping underwhelming 300 hour certificate to a dismal weekend course. Of course the proponents of this farce claim that acupuncture theory is too esoteric because it does not rely on sound anatomy and physiology.

Funny, I took A&P as well as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, lab data, western physical exam, nutrition, psychology, surface anatomy, and western pathology when I was in school. And those were not even 25% of my nearly 3000 hour graduate program!

But of course, this is all old news. The Medical Acupuncture Association has been around for ten years. And this is hardly the first time I have ranted about other disciplines encroaching on our territory without proper training.

What has me hot under the collar this time is the claim TCM is anecdotal while biomedical acupuncture is scientific - check out this zinger of a story.

The fact these "dry needling" techniques they teach in these seminars stems from over 3000 years of acupuncture theory and practice is apparently of no consequence. Oh yes, it is okay to jab needles into muscles and random trigger points (that's ashi points, those that have a real education in acupuncture know that already) and claim it has a "real" effect because it is causing a micro-trauma that stimulates the body's healing response. Not like that qi stuff that stimulates the body's healing response, no sir. When the point is needled, you are feeling the exact same sensations whether you call it a major quadratus lumborum trigger point or "Pi Gen," the difference is that in TCM, you are not just treating the branch symptom, you are treating the root cause.

The other reason I am so irritated is I just know insurance is going to start covering this nonsense. I already live in a state where legitimate acupuncturists cannot get in-network but at least chiropractors are banned, in theory, from practicing acupuncture without an acupuncture license for the moment (although they STILL put themselves in the phonebook under "physicians MD and osteopaths OD").

While the AAAOM is working to get professional parity through supposed acupuncture doctoral programs, our profession, which still does not have a national title and basic scope of practice, may just get pulled out from under us.

Acupuncture and Spinal Nerve Cell Recovery

More research is coming out demonstrating acupuncture is an effective modality to help prevent further death and destruction of nerve cells in patient's with spinal cord injuries. I tried to locate the original research report, but my online sources were not forthcoming. It looks like Kyung Hee University is doing some pretty interesting digging into the effects of specific points like H7 demonstrating decrease in anxiety related to nicotine withdrawal (St36 failed to produce results), GB34 for Parkinson's Disease, and GB34 and GB39 stimulation after perfusion following an ischemic attack.

Acupuncture could help spinal recovery: study

By QMI AGENCY

A 2003 study showed acupuncture - a traditional Chinese medicine that treats pain by inserting and manipulating long, thin needles into various points of the body - can improve the sensory and motor functions of people with spinal cord injuries.

More recently, researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea, tried to find out why. The study's results were published in the most recent edition of Neurobiology of Disease.

The researchers damaged the spines of 75 rats. One third were treated with acupuncture.

After 35 days, the rats that received the needle treatment stood and walked better than those that did not.

What's more, the acupuncture-treated rats had less nerve cell death and lower levels of the protein that causes inflammation.

The researchers hypothesize that the needles cause a stress response in the body that lessens inflammation. The inflammation that occurs after spinal cord injuries causes nerve cell death and lessens the chance of recovery.

Source: Toronto Sun

Acupuncture and Spinal Nerve Cell Recovery

More research is coming out demonstrating acupuncture is an effective modality to help prevent further death and destruction of nerve cells in patient's with spinal cord injuries. I tried to locate the original research report, but my online sources were not forthcoming. It looks like Kyung Hee University is doing some pretty interesting digging into the effects of specific points like H7 demonstrating decrease in anxiety related to nicotine withdrawal (St36 failed to produce results), GB34 for Parkinson's Disease, and GB34 and GB39 stimulation after perfusion following an ischemic attack.

Acupuncture could help spinal recovery: study

By QMI AGENCY

A 2003 study showed acupuncture - a traditional Chinese medicine that treats pain by inserting and manipulating long, thin needles into various points of the body - can improve the sensory and motor functions of people with spinal cord injuries.

More recently, researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea, tried to find out why. The study's results were published in the most recent edition of Neurobiology of Disease.

The researchers damaged the spines of 75 rats. One third were treated with acupuncture.

After 35 days, the rats that received the needle treatment stood and walked better than those that did not.

What's more, the acupuncture-treated rats had less nerve cell death and lower levels of the protein that causes inflammation.

The researchers hypothesize that the needles cause a stress response in the body that lessens inflammation. The inflammation that occurs after spinal cord injuries causes nerve cell death and lessens the chance of recovery.

Source: Toronto Sun

Legislative Update

Well, the bill to change our title to "Licensed Acupuncturist" did not pass, and that is a shame. However, we are still certified to practice, so at least we did not loose anything.

I am actually really surprised we did not get this through. The Kentucky Medical Association was so busy kicking up such a histrionic fuss over the proposed changes to the ARNP scope of practice legislation (sadly, also did not pass), that they they actually supported the LAc bill. But, as is the case with so much of politics, the backer of our bill irritated some fellow state senators and as a result, they opposed anything he brought to the floor. Lovely.

Isn't pride one of the 7 deadly sins?

But, in better news, check out this story from a soldier who underwent an extensive rehab program, including acupuncture, at the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Center at Fort Hood. I only wish they would hire trained acupuncturists instead of MDs who went to a seminar. Someday . . .

A US medic's tale of traumatic war stress treatment

Legislative Update

Well, the bill to change our title to "Licensed Acupuncturist" did not pass, and that is a shame. However, we are still certified to practice, so at least we did not loose anything.

I am actually really surprised we did not get this through. The Kentucky Medical Association was so busy kicking up such a histrionic fuss over the proposed changes to the ARNP scope of practice legislation (sadly, also did not pass), that they they actually supported the LAc bill. But, as is the case with so much of politics, the backer of our bill irritated some fellow state senators and as a result, they opposed anything he brought to the floor. Lovely.

Isn't pride one of the 7 deadly sins?

But, in better news, check out this story from a soldier who underwent an extensive rehab program, including acupuncture, at the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Center at Fort Hood. I only wish they would hire trained acupuncturists instead of MDs who went to a seminar. Someday . . .

A US medic's tale of traumatic war stress treatment

Dead Bill

I perused the bill pretty quickly and I am sorry it did not pass. One thing I have yet to understand is why chiropractors are considered qualified to practice acupuncture without a license (MDs too, for that matter, but the AAAOM would need a lot more money to challenge the AMA on that one!). This bill was pretty strict on the guidelines for disclosure and medical condition notification which I figured would have appeased any safety concerns in the opposition argument. Good luck to our friends in South Dakota for next round. Hopefully someone (AAAOM, ahemm) will work on a national certification procedure (like RNs, MDs, and DOs) rather than this state-by-state nonsense we have had to deal with for so long.

Acupuncture licensing bill killed by committee

Associated Press - February 9, 2010 10:15 AM ET

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A bill that would have regulated acupuncturists in South Dakota was killed by a legislative committee Tuesday.

The bill would have adopted National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine standards used in 44 other states.

Castlewood Republican Rep. Kristi Noem said the measure would help protect South Dakota's eight practicing acupuncturists and differentiate them from those who have had no education or training.

Committee members said the bill needed more work before moving forward.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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