Abstract
Pain Research Funding Opportunity from U.S. Government Groups
The National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have teamed up to offer a pain management funding initiative, with a goal to “develop the capacity to implement cost-effective, large-scale clinical research in military and veteran health care delivery organizations focusing on nonpharmacologic approaches to the management of pain and comorbid conditions.” A coordinating center will provide technical expertise and leadership. The program aims to support the design and execution of demonstration projects with pragmatic clinical trials. Data from these projects will be made publically available. Applications are due March 3, 2017. https://nccih.nih.gov/research/blog/partnering-on-pain
Acupuncture Offered to Trauma Victims
Members of Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB), based in Albuquerque, NM, are offering people who experienced the January 6, 2017, shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale Airport free acupuncture sessions to reduce stress and anxiety so these victims can start to heal from the event. Airport employees, first responders, law enforcement employees, and anyone else who experienced the traumatic event are welcome. AWB volunteer Elizabeth Nelson, LAC, is coordinating the AWB-affiliated, free trauma-recovery clinic. Participating acupuncturists must be licensed in Florida and carry liability insurance. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-dff-acupuncture-0118-20170113-story.html
Plan to Attend: Aama 29th Annual Symposium
The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) will hold its 29th Annual Symposium on April 7–9, 2017, in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to the symposium, the academy will offer an AAMA Review Course April 4–5, 2017, and presymposium workshops on April 6, 2017. Continuing medical education credits are offered for all educational programs. On the last day of the symposium, April 9, 2017, the academy will offer an American Board of Medical Acupuncture (ABMA) Board Certification Examination. http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/For-Physicians/Education
Acupuncture Patients Report High Satisfaction
Managed-care patients reported a high rate of satisfaction with acupuncture treatments, according to a study by American Specialty Health, a company that develops and maintains managed care plans for specialized care services. A majority of patients surveyed, 85%–93%, many with chronic pain conditions, said their acupuncturists were successful in addressing the patients' primary health issues. Between 80% and 87% of survey responders rated their acupuncturists at a 9 or a 10 on a 1-to-10 point scale, compared to conventional care providers who received a 76%–80% rating. http://files.clickdimensions.com/ashcompaniescom-a7oce/files/acupuncturecahps.pdf
Consumers Want Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The American Hospital Association's Hospitals and Health Networks magazine reported that hospitals are increasingly adding complementary or integrative therapies due to the rise in consumerism. Patients want these services. However, reimbursement challenges continue to exist for many interventions, including acupuncture and massage therapy. Additionally, clinicians are becoming more accepting of nonconventional therapies as adjuncts to conventional medicine. The publication reports people spend more than $30 billion annually on complementary care, supplements, and self-care approaches to treatment. http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/7699-consumers-clamor-for-complementary-and-alternative-medicine
Chinese Law Boosts Traditional Medicine
China's legislature has passed a law that puts a greater emphasis on Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Chinese health system, effective July 1, 2017. The law is aimed to improve access for patients to a wider range of services, including acupuncture, Qigong, massage, and dietary therapy. Regional governments will be required to set up traditional medicine institutions at publicly funded general hospitals and mother-and-child centers. Western and Chinese medicine will be on an equal footing, with better training of Chinese medicine practitioners. http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/china-passes-law-to-boost-traditional-medicine
Using Acupuncture for Patients with Head-and-Neck Cancer
In an interview with Oncology Nursing News, Bridgette Harr, CNP, at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, in Ohio, discussed how the cancer center uses acupuncture and other integrative therapies with head-and-neck cancer survivors. Acupuncture is used to manage pain, taste changes, fatigue, and mouth dryness. Insurance often does not cover acupuncture treatments. People can receive acupuncture treatments in a group setting, making acupuncture less expensive and more accessible for center patients, Harr explained. http://nursing.onclive.com/web-exclusives/managing-the-unique-needs-of-survivors-of-head-and-neck-cancer
Relief from Peripheral Neuropathy Pain
Jennifer Ligibel, MD, from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in 2016 that acupuncture may provide relief for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast-cancer survivors. Some of the women in the study had suffered from the painful condition for years. The researchers enrolled 40 patients with taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy and randomized them to receive usual care or acupuncture therapy twice weekly for 8 weeks. The acupuncture included electrostimulation. Pain was reduced by 33% and functional assessment was improved by 35% in the acupuncture group, compared to the people in the control group.
Acupuncture Improves Mastectomy Recovery
Women having undergone mastectomy for breast cancer and received acupuncture treatments at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, had less pain, nausea, and anxiety than patients who received usual care, a recent study indicates. The acupuncture patients were able to cope better on the first postoperative day. Additionally, the patients receiving acupuncture reported less pain on the second postoperative day. Acupuncture was delivered as much as two times after surgery, with each treatment at least 12 hours apart. Acupuncture reduced patients' pain perception, anxiety, and nausea, according to one of the study's researchers, Jeffery A. Dusek, PhD, director of Research for the Minnesota-based Penny George™ Institute for Health and Healing. https://onf.ons.org/onf/43/6/assessing-impact-acupuncture-pain-nausea-anxiety-and-coping-women-undergoing-mastectomy
UK Guidelines Remove Acupuncture as Treatment for Back Pain
The United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence released updated guidelines for managing and treating low-back pain. The new guidelines no longer recommend acupuncture as a treatment. Acupuncture was added in the 2009 guidelines, based on evidence. This year, the committee based its decision on studies comparing acupuncture to sham-acupuncture and found that verum acupuncture outperformed the sham controls, but this difference did not meet the threshold the committee had set to make a recommendation. http://www.acupuncture.org.nz/news/774/the-new-uk-nice-guidelines-on-low-back-pain.aspx
Clinical Trial: Acupuncture for Stroke Motor Dysfunction
Jian Pei, MD, at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, is the study chair of a multicenter, randomized, interventional study to determine if acupuncture combined with rehabilitation treatment could improve motor function in patients who have ischemic stroke. A total of 240 patients will be recruited for the 8-week study. It will be conducted at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Long Hua Hospital, and Fudan University, Hua Shan Hospital. The primary outcome measure will be motor function change from baseline at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, activities of daily living, and changes in stroke symptoms. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02975362?term=acupuncture&recr=Open&rank=4&submit_fld_opt=
Acupuncture Reducing Hypertension Explained
Min Li, at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues, conducted research to explain how acupuncture can reduce blood pressure (BP). They used repetitive electroacupuncture (EA) on cold-induced hypertension in an animal model and reported that the increased enkephalin in the rostral ventrolateral medulla produced by repetitive EA helped lower BP. The reduced BP lasted for at least 3 days after EA by increasing the gene expression of enkephalins, which comprise one of the three major opioid peptides produced by the body. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep35791
Wyoming Acupuncturists want State Regulations
Members of the Wyoming Acupuncture Society are advocating for the state legislature to pass a law regulating the profession. Because of the lack of regulations, the society says anyone can claim to be an acupuncturist, even if that person has not had training. The society wants regulations to ensure that everyone receives safe care when seeking acupuncture or Oriental medicine treatments. The group also said that regulating acupuncture would make it easier to integrate with conventional medicine and hospitals and possibly receive health insurance coverage for the services. http://www.wyoas.org/index.html
Getting to the Root Cause of Patients' Problems
Mark E. Holthouse, MD, FAAFP, ABoIM, ABIHM, IFMCP, medical director at the True Health Center for Functional Medicine in El Dorado Hills, CA, clinical teaching faculty at the Loma Linda University (CA) School of Medicine, and teaching faculty of The Institute for Functional Medicine, in Washington, DC, wrote a column in Alternative and Complementary Therapies about the importance of seeking to learn the root cause of patients' problems. The first step, according to Holthouse, is developing a therapeutic relationship and having mutual respect between patient and practitioner while engaging in a team approach. Although this is an important element for care, reimbursement issues present an obstacle to taking the time to discover the root cause of patients' conditions. http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/act.2016.29078.meh
Pain Common in U.S. Veterans
Veterans experience more pain and more severe pain than U.S. citizens who have not served in the military, according to a new analysis of the National Health Interview Survey, which compiled pain reports from 67,696 adults (6647 veterans and 61049 nonveterans). The researchers found that veterans were more likely to experience severe pain than nonveterans. Younger veterans reported experiencing more suffering from severe pain than nonveterans. Veterans were more likely than other people to have back pain and joint pain. Richard L. Nahin, PhD, the lead author of the analysis, said that the findings suggested that “more attention should be paid to helping veterans manage the impact of severe pain and related disability on daily activities.” https://nccih.nih.gov/health/pain/veterans