Abstract
Exclusive Interview With Tracy Gaudet, MD
Tracy Gaudet, MD, the founding director of the Veterans Administration (VA) Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, was featured in an exclusive interview with Medical Acupuncture. John Weeks, editor-in-chief of JACM: Paradigm, Practice and Policy Advancing Integrative Health, interviewed Dr. Gaudet about the whole-health model in the VA, her personal practices for self-care and stress management, and more in “Systemic Change Toward Well-Being: A National Academy of Medicine Dialogue with the Veterans Administration's Leader for Cultural Transformation.” www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acu.2018.29090.tga
T'ai Chi Effective for Treating Fibromyalgia
The traditional martial art of t'ai chi was found to be as good as or better than aerobic exercise for patients with fibromyalgia symptoms, according to a study in BMJ. Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc, director and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and colleagues, conducted a prospective randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of t'ai chi interventions in patients with fibromyalgia. The researchers found that people participating in t'ai chi mind–body treatment obtained similar or greater reduction of symptoms than a group of controls practicing aerobic exercise, the current standard of care. T'ai chi for longer durations produced greater benefit. www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k851
AAMA Calls for Research Applications
The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) is accepting applications to present original research at the AAMA 2019 Symposium in April 2019 in Phoenix, AZ. The top three research articles will receive stipends and registration to the event. The articles will be presented at the symposium. Entries must be received by January 25, 2019. www.medicalacupuncture.org/For-Physicians/Symposium/Research-Paper-Competition
Electroacupuncture Relieves Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
A multicenter randomized controlled trial showed that electroacupuncture (EA) relieved painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, according to a study reported in Diabetes Care. Kyung-Min Shin, at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine in Daejeon, South Korea, and colleagues, enrolled 126 participants at four centers in South Korea. Patients in the intervention group received EA twice weekly for 8 weeks and the controls did not receive any acupuncture. Both cohorts received education about lifestyle changes and dietary control for managing diabetes. Patients in the intervention group reported reductions in pain, and improved sleep and quality of life. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/early/2018/07/19/dc18-1254.full.pdf
California Division of Workers' Compensation Continues to Pay for Acupuncture
The California Division of Workers' Compensation issued a clarification to the July 1, 2018, update to its Physician Fee Schedule, which listed the acupuncture codes as “medically unlikely edits” with a value of zero. The clarification states: “It is important for the public to know that acupuncture continues to fall within the definition of ‘medical treatment’ as defined in Labor Code section 4600 and is available to the injured worker when it is medically necessary to cure or relieve the effects of the injury.” www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2018/2018-59.pdf
Aama Offering Incentive for New Members
The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture is offering members a $50 reward for recruiting a colleague to join the Academy. Benefits of membership include the annual scientific symposium, continuing medical education opportunities, a patient-referral service, educational brochures, preceptor and advanced clinical workshops, board certification, and a consult program. www.medicalacupuncture.org
Treatment Guidelines Recommending Acupuncture
Clinical guidelines are recommending acupuncture more often than in the past, according to a study in JACM: Paradigm, Practice and Policy Advancing Integrative Health. Stephen Birch, PhD, at Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway, and colleagues, searched medical databases and Google, looking for treatment guidelines and found 1311 publications recommending using acupuncture. The researchers also found 2189 positive recommendations for acupuncture use, with 1486 of those related to pain. The recommendations came from all over the globe, but most were from North America, Australasia, and Europe. https://liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2018.0092
ASCO Supports Complementary Therapies
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has endorsed the use of complementary therapies, including acupuncture, to manage breast-cancer symptoms and adverse effects of treatment. Patients with breast cancer often use complementary and integrative therapies; yet, the evidence for such therapies is limited. The clinical practice guidelines suggest using integrative therapies for addressing stress, depression, fatigue, and other symptoms. The guidelines suggest acupressure and acupuncture for reducing chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21397/epdf
Acupuncturists Respond to Traumas
Acupuncturists Without Borders have responded to several events in 2018, including the Parkland, FL, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada shootings; the ongoing crisis caused by hurricanes in Puerto Rico; and the California wildfires. The organization began in 2015, after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The organization provides community-style acupuncture for disaster relief, helping people reduce stress and develop a sense of well-being. The volunteer acupuncturists follow the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol to reduce suffering. They also may use other acupuncture points and treatments. www.acuwithoutborders.org
Back Surgeries Reduced When Acupuncture Used
Researchers in Korea found lower lumbar surgery rates for low-back pain in patients who received acupuncture treatment, according to a study in PLoS One. Wonil Koh at Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute in Seoul, Korea, and colleagues conducted a nationwide retrospective study assessing the association between acupuncture and lumbar surgery, using data from more than 260,000 patients with low-back pain in Korea. The researchers concluded that prospective studies are needed. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0199042