Webinar Forum: Acupuncture Therapy

On September 16, 2008, David Sollars, Mac, LicAc, HMC, presented a webinar lecture on acupuncture therapy. Sollars, who earned a Master's degree in Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA), discussed acupuncture as an integrative medicine for patient-centered care. Sollars stressed the importance of combining acupuncture with standard care to achieve optimal results.

Drawing on more than 16 years of experience, Sollars used real-life examples to discuss this ancient form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its effects on the body. He also cited evidence that supports its use for medical problems like back pain. Acupuncture is one of the most highly studied integrative therapies, as more than 2,000 acupuncture trials have been performed in humans.

Sollars' webinar is one of many upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com.

The next webinar, presented by Natural Standard Chief Editor Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD, on September 30 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, will provide a database overview. Whether you are new to Natural Standard or a recurrent subscriber, Ulbricht will help you understand the functionality of the database, so you can take advantage of all that Natural Standard has to offer.

Natural Standard values the opinions and views of its readers and welcomes feedback and questions about the latest webinar event. Also, if you have any suggestions for future webinar topics, please leave a comment below or send an e-mail to questions@naturalstandard.com.

Comments

[TS]

I thought the acupuncture webinar was fantastic. Sollars is a great speaker - very charismatic and engaging.

I think a lot of people have this idea that "alternative" medicine practitioners are anti-conventional medicine, but that's really not the case. It was great to hear an acupuncturist talk about the practice as an integrative approach because you get the best results when you're able to work together with all of your health professionals.

[Julie]

Kudos to Sollars! I had my students log in to the webinar, and everyone really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[Maxine]

There was an article or abstract several years ago printed in the Annals of Internal Medicine, about the risk of mycobacterial skin infections from acupuncture needles, especially when the skin wasn't adequately cleaned. Having had acupuncture myself from several practitioners, I have noticed that some practitioners will clean the skin beforehand with a quick swipe of an alcohol pad, while others do no pre-cleaning of the skin.

[Wendy]

If anyone missed the webinar and would like to listen to it - the recorded version is available at www.naturalstandard.com. On the left-hand toolbar there is a button that says webinars, and it is available there.

[Joe K]

I didn't realize so many clinical trials were done on acupuncture! I have not heard of many people using acupuncture for pain, but if there is this much research out there, then I am willing to give it a try!

[Gary]

I looked up one of the studies about the incidence of mycobacterial skin infections from acupuncture needles. Researchers looked at a doctor's office in South Korea. It seems like not much care was taken to change towels and make sure the materials used were clean and sterilized. Once these things were cleaned, the outbreaks stopped.

[Liz]

I'm afraid of needles. Does shiatsu work the same way? Also, I know some insurance companies cover acupuncture - will they cover shiatsu too? Can you perform either of these on yourself, or does somebody else have to do it to you?

[SUMA]

I found this webinar to be interesting and informative. I was very impressed with the ethical standards of this acupuncture facility, and I think it is great that they have increased their physician referrals. This is a positive step toward integrating conventional and complementary therapies - if only more practitioners could follow this example and work collaboratively! Everyone, especially the patients, would benefit.

I was surprised to see the types of conditions that respond to acupuncture - specifically women’s health and dental issues. I think it is great that acute facilities look to this team for up-to-date information on acupuncture . This is another positive sign that renews my hope that conventional and complementary therapies can someday work together. Keep up the good work!

[Jason]

Maxine, in addition to cleaning the skin before acupuncture, I think it is very important to make sure the needles and any other equipment used is properly sterilized or disposed of. I am not surprised to hear about the skin infections. Acupuncture is no different than receiving an injection or any other medical procedure. The area and equipment used must be clean.

[Stan]

I agree with TS. When I talk to others about maybe looking into alternative medicine, they automatically assume that it's probably not a good idea. Many people feel that either conventional medicine or alternative therapy must be chosen and that they both can't be used together. Hopefully, the word will get out, and more people will learn about the benefits of integrative medicine.

[Sunny]

As someone who has seen the benefits of acupuncture therapy, this webinar was very helpful in understanding the history and how acupuncture can help enhance traditional medicine. In response to Maxine’s comment, the National Center for Contemporary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) states that acupuncturists should be swabbing treatment sites with alcohol or another type of disinfectant. There can be adverse effects when acupuncture needles are not delivered properly. Be sure to check the practitioner’s credentials before beginning treatment.

[Hank]

Maxine makes a good point. Before choosing an acupuncturist, do some research to determine which methods they use and see what makes you comfortable. You can also ask how they determine needle sterility; are they sterile single-use or do they autoclave them? The whole process is otherwise very safe. I’ve tried it myself and found no discomfort or side effects!

[charlotte]

I thought the webinar was very informative and did a good job of explaining the core concepts of integrated medicine. It was good to hear an acupuncturist really place value on the patient seeing their primary-care doctor, as well as complementary and alternative medicine practitioners for better overall healthcare. I am looking forward to seeing more integrated medicine in the future.

[jennifer]

I must agree with TS. I thought David Sollars made the webinar insightful, informative and entertaining at the same time. My friends and I appreciated the funny references to Steven Segal.

I also must commend Sollars for promoting integrative medicine as opposed to alternative medicine. I feel like combining all approaches and modalities will allow us to benefit from all the advantages of both the conventional and complementary world. Having had acupuncture myself for the first time last week, I truly do believe that it contains properties that many may benefit from. In the future I would love to observe webinars on other CAM modalities such as Reiki and shiatsu.

[J.O.]

I really enjoyed Sollars' webinar about acupuncture. I just want to share my thoughts on something that is practiced along side with acupuncture. Another traditional Chinese approach to medicine that is similar to acupuncture is “cupping.” This process is a form of acupressure, via a vacuum approach. A vacuum is created by placing a few drops of rubbing alcohol inside a glass cup and quickly igniting the alcohol and placing the cup upside down directly on a patient’s back. The vacuum created by the fire pulls on the patient’s back, supposedly to help treat respiratory symptoms and musculoskeletal pain. Newer techniques involve using a pump system rather than igniting isopropyl alcohol, since there is no fire hazard or burn potential.

[David Sollars]

Maxine,

Cleaning the skin with an isopropyl alcohol swab prior to acupuncture therapy is part of the best practices of the National Certification for the Certification of Acupuncture. It is standard practice throughout the country and should be observed by every acupuncturist whose state law requires this certification for licensure. There are many varied forms of administering acupuncture therapy, and they should all be accompanied with establishing a clean field and using clean technique during the acupuncture procedure. Thank you for your inquiry.

[liz]

I found the webinar to be very interesting and informative. I was not aware of the different types of acupuncture therapy such as needles not being used in Japanese acupuncture. I agree with Jennifer that patients will benefit from integrative medicine.

[staying young....]

Does acupuncture work for wrinkles like Botox® does? Or maybe it reduces stress and promotes a good night's sleep, which helps prevent wrinkles? But if I already have them, can it reduce them? Does it help with any other cosmetic purposes like losing weight? Also, does it cause scars?

[Raine]

I think it is fabulous that practitioners are integrating traditional medicine and Western medicine. It’s amazing that something that has been around for thousands of years is gaining new popularity. It is unfortunate that more insurance companies do not cover acupuncture and alternative medicine treatments, as the medical evidence about its ability to help treat diseases is available for discussion.

According to Natural Standard's Web site, acupuncture has been used to treat dozens and dozens of different disease states - ranging from pain to cancer and tennis elbow.

[steven]

In response to Liz’s comment, shiatsu does not use needles. It is more of an acupressure technique -- no puncturing involved. I recently had my first shiatsu massage, and I must say, it was quite nice. They focus more on using fingers to firmly press against specific points on the body. Here is a definition that I found:

"Shiatsu technique refers to the use of fingers and palm of one's hand to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body and for maintaining and promoting health. It is also a method contributing to the healing of specific illnesses."

[JD]

Acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine is focused on the free flow of Qi. Qi is basically a form of internal energy. Acupuncture does a great job of regulating and balancing the flow of this Qi and blood. My question is: how is Qi measured to determine if you have deficient or excessive levels in certain areas?

[luu]

Acupuncture is certainly gaining popularity as people today are shifting towards new-age philosophies and contemporary alternative medicine. I believe that acupuncture does have proven benefits. My mom was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis years back and has been on different medications. This is not to say that those medications do not work! But on rainy days, the arthritic pain is severe even when she takes her medications. The pain is intermittent, and she cannot perform her usual daily activities. She tried acupuncture twice a week, and her pain was relieved. It was noticeable since she continued to chop her meats and cook a delicious meal. Unfortunately, going to acupuncture twice a week indefinitely is costly, and her insurance does not cover it. Hopefully, one day insurance companies can consider covering this therapy.

[PK]

Wow, it sounds like this webinar on acupuncture is one I should definitely make sure to listen to. It is always exciting to hear evidence-based medicine principles applied to therapies considered to be complementary or alternative.

[nate]

I did not have a chance to listen to this webinar, but it sounds interesting. I saw this practice on Oprah once and am very tempted to try it out, but I'm too afraid of needles. So my questions are: Do they hurt? What is the purpose of this practice (just to release the muscle tension)?

[kay]

This summary enticed me to listen to the webinar. I was particularly drawn to Sollars' use of real-life examples to discuss traditional Chinese medicine.

[Ning]

It was a great webnar to learn the value that this traditional medicine place on American patients. The question I have for David Sollars in general is what percentage of patients satisfy at this alternative medicine (acupuncture)?

Additionally, can a person with a degree in acupuncture from a foreign traditional medicine college practice as an acupuncturist in the States if he/she passes the test(s) provided by NCCAM?

[David Sollars]

Ning,

1) Every practitioner has to understand the parameters of their therapy and their own clinical experience. The better you are able to frame a condition in this knowledge and convey the potential to your patient, the better your clinical outcomes. We stay within a framework of efficacy that is based on the current research, the long history of literature and our own collective clinical experience. We are a community health practice and see a wide range of conditions. So a single percentage number will never adequately reflect the outcomes, since the areas we treat are so diverse. We choose our patients carefully. This keeps us, in general, at a high-patient-satisfaction rate.

2) In Massachusetts, where I practice, there are previsions for practitioners with overseas degrees to qualify for licensure. This is a state-by-state regulation, so you would need to contact the board in your area to find out the details.

[Anna H.]

I was impressed by how acupuncture techniques could help prevent and treat many diseases; for example, infertility (case presentation), stress, anxiety, etc. I found David Sollars' presentation very interesting, especially because he focused the importance of the communication between healthcare practitioners from conventional medicine and traditional medicine to achieve their most essential goal: patients' health.

[Pat]

Low back pain is such a prevalent and complex medical issue that we need to look at all sorts of ways to bring in alternative forms of treatment. I've also been reading about zero balancing -- a type of gentle bodywork -- and would be interested in hearing a forum that tells more about how this type of therapy might be effective for people with chronic back pain.

[Celine]

Very interesting webinar! I had no idea how many conditions can be relieved with acupuncture. I strongly believe this will help relieve my chronic lower back pain, especially when combined with my Reiki!