Researchers find acupuncture effective
A 30-year study of acupuncture finds the procedure offers relief for some patients but is risky in the hands of unqualified practitioners. During a recent meeting of doctors and medical researchers in London, Hagen Rampes, MD, of South Kensing ton & Chelsea Mental Health Center in London, reported the results of his long-term study on the effects of acupuncture worldwide. Rampes' research showed that acupuncture:
· provides effective relief for treating back pain, nausea, and dental pain;
· provides no definite effect on neck pain, headache, strokes, or asthma;
· causes serious complications, such as blood poisoning, hepatitis B, and lung punctures in some cases.
Procedure may pose serious risks
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that uses tiny needles to stimulate nerve ends at certain points along 12 energy channels of the body, the meridians, thereby prodding the energy flow, the "Qi." In recent years, the practice has made considerable inroads in Western medicine. However, Adrian White, MD, of the department of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter in England, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of acupuncture "in every condition."
Although data support the claim that acupuncture stimulates brain cells to release endorphins, other researchers from the University of Exeter warn that acupuncture is not totally safe. In fact, in the hands of unqualified practitioners, acupuncture poses serious health risks, they caution.
"There have been several clusters of hepatitis B throughout the world and all were due to careless procedures when acupuncture was used," Rampes says.
In the United States, case managers can contact several professional acupuncture associations case managers for help selecting a qualified provider. Those include:
· National Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance, 638 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT 06105-4298. Telephone: (203) 586-7509.
· American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, 433 Front St., Catasauqua, PA 18032. Telephone: (610) 266-1433.
· American Acupuncture Association, 4262 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11355. Telephone: (718) 886-4431.
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