Abstract
In the U.S. Armed Forces, physician medical acupuncturists have an average time of 20 minutes to treat patients in their clinics. In the war theater, treatment time may be shorter. Treatments used tend to be those that are administrated quickly for pain—such as the well-known Battlefield Acupuncture. Nicotine abuse, skin disorders, obesity, vertigo, allergies, dystonia, and trigger-point problems are just some of the conditions for which treatments can be performed in a few minutes, using well-defined points and semi-permanent and traditional acupuncture needles. Laser acupuncture treatments just take a few minutes and are even quicker to administer.
In the military environment, there is a tendency to make treatments shorter and more efficient. In civilian practice of acupuncture, where each clinician may set the pace a little more autonomously, quick and efficient acupuncture treatments also may be useful. Not all acupuncture treatments may be quick; Five Element applications take longer and can bring things to a crawl. This is not bad if we get the desired results. It is like a virus scan that goes on for hours: Although it takes a frustratingly long time, the computer is fixed and runs better.
Many OS have operating parameters or additional software designed to eliminate malware, including viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits, dialers, and spyware. In the area of prevention, acupuncture has a long history. In fact, we know that our ancient colleagues were disgraced if their patients became ill. This is not so in our times. We think of prevention techniques as vaccinations, laboratory profiles, radiological scans, etc. The disease is already in a patient's system, so let's find it. It is like having a bottle of poison. Should we pop open the cork and be exposed? Or should we be able to know its contents beforehand and prevent its propagation? Heck, I do not want a virus to land in my computer and then have it quarantined or deleted. I want it stopped beforehand. We recommend diet changes and exercise. What about mental disease prevention and relaxation of the spirit? I do not remember when a patient came to me requesting acupuncture for prevention. It would be as unexpected as Superman showing up for acupuncture to prevent fatigue from kryptonite. What are our best acupuncture practices for prevention? Surfing the world wide web yields a plethora of information related to acupuncture and prevention. Which ones work the best? How do we want to use acupuncture for better preventive measures for our patients before these patients manifest illness? What are the best practices? We have had several thousand years to figure it out.
It is not hard to get caught up into somewhat of a professional fantasy in attempting to predict what the future of acupuncture might be and how we might model this “OS.” So far, we have touched on rapid and efficient acupuncture treatments that we are able to apply, whereas preventive acupuncture is even more challenging and possibly less obvious.
Nevertheless, you as potential authors from the readership could have an active role in “designing” acupuncture's future OS, in guiding the future changes in acupuncture. What are most important for us and our patients—the true end users? Should our journal:
• Concentrate a little more on fundamental basic acupuncture research articles that examine acupuncture for specific conditions and its mechanisms? • Provide more articles investigating acupressure, electro-acupuncture, laser acupuncture, and quick acupuncture techniques? • Produce special editions devoted to women, men, children, and geriatric health?
To influence the course of acupuncture and the OS, I imagine, the Journal must have a more substantial presence, both nationally and internationally. To help achieve this, we plan to publish a journal issue every other month in 2013. Now, I need to hear from you, if we are to influence the OS of acupuncture. Whether you write to me using Windows Vista 7 or 8, or Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion, you can be assured that I and the editorial staff will listen to you. Pen and paper still works as well as the telephone. Most important let's start to reboot a new OS into the future and not click on “shut down or sleep.”