British Medical Acupuncture Society Research Articles

Bmas Acupuncture Courses

THE BRITISH MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE SOCIETY runs foundation, foundation refresher and supplementary courses for regulated healthcare professionals. FOUNDATION COURSES last 4 days, either spread over 2 weekends or as a block of four consecutive days. While the historical aspects and traditional philosophy of acupuncture are discussed, the Foundation Course concentrates on a neurophysiological and evidence-based approach to the use of acupuncture as a technique following orthodox clinical diagnosis. Safe and effective needling are key features of this practical course, and the healthcare professionals attending should leave with the skills required to apply simple acupuncture techniques within their practice. ‘Earlybird’ discounted price for bookings made and paid for at least three months ahead of the start of the course. LONDON: NCVO, London N1 4/5 November & 2/3 December 2017 NORTHWICH Cheshire: BMAS House, Northwich CW8 1AQ 17/18 February & 17/18 March 2018 DUBLIN: Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan 10/11 March & 7/8 April 2018 LONDON: NCVO, London N1 Four weekdays: 26-29 March 2018 NORTHWICH Cheshire: BMAS House, Northwich CW8 …

Acupuncture in Physiotherapy: A Contemporary Uk Perspective

The current debate in the USA over professional ‘ownership’ of acupuncture, as detailed in the linked paper by Zhou et al 1 and reflected by the recent position paper from the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/ForPhysicians/AbouttheAAMA/AAMAPositionStatement), is in stark contrast to the diverse, multidisciplinary approach that is flourishing in the UK. Dispelling the myths of physiotherapy (physical therapy) led acupuncture is a task that is long overdue. Perhaps the argument “why physiotherapists should not deliver acupuncture” should be reframed “why not physiotherapists (or other healthcare professionals who are not physicians)?”. Chartered physiotherapists are placed at the forefront of modern healthcare, with >55 000 currently practising in the UK.2 As professionally regulated and autonomous healthcare professionals, there is huge opportunity for physiotherapists to deliver acupuncture as part of mainstream healthcare for patient benefit. Western medical acupuncture (WMA) practice by physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals in the UK and internationally has substantially increased in the last decade. The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) was established in 1984 and membership is currently >6500,3 double that of any other UK acupuncture organisation. Physiotherapists also contribute to the membership of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. Collectively, physiotherapists are the largest professional group of acupuncture providers in the UK and are arguably leading the way in bringing acupuncture into mainstream healthcare. Physiotherapists have typically completed 3–4-year professional degrees, including extensive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and diagnostics. This provides an excellent foundation for learning acupuncture at an advanced level. Physiotherapy uses a holistic approach to patient care, which complements theories underpinning acupuncture. Most UK physiotherapists choose to study/practise WMA. Some complete masters degrees in acupuncture and a small proportion choose to study dry needling (DN) only. As one example, AACP education/training of physiotherapists in WMA is provided at an advanced (masters degree) level. …

John Warburton Thompson

It is with a very great personal sense of loss and deep sadness among all in BMAS who knew John that we learned of his death aged 88 on 27 November 2012. John was a highly respected senior and Honorary member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) who had been an active contributor to the main committee, as well as serving on the research and accreditation committees and lecturing to scientific meetings. He made an enormous contribution to the society over many years. ![Graphic][1] Born on 7 November 1924 in East London at Guy's Hospital, he decided at the early age of seven that he wanted to study medicine. He was a choral scholar at the City of London School and studied medicine at The London Hospital, gaining honours in surgery, forensic medicine and public health. He retained a forensic, scientific approach to each area of clinical and academic work that he pursued as a … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

Obituary: David Bowsher Ma Md Scd Phd Frcp Ed Frc Path

It is with very great sadness that the Society learnt of David Bowsher's death on 17 June 2011 at the age of 86. David, an honorary member of the Society (he was also a member of both the research committee and the international editorial board), made many important contributions to the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) by way of presenting talks, publishing papers and chapters on acupuncture, as well as on forms of stimulation-induced analgesia. He willingly and generously gave valuable advice, help, guidance, encouragement and inspiration to members and others. Those who were fortunate enough to hear him present a lecture or to have a discussion with him, quickly realised that he was someone with a multitude of exceptional gifts. …

Webwise

Acupuncture is one of the most common complementary therapies in the UK. The website of the British Medical Acupuncture Society helps distinguish between the two theoretical modes of delivery: western acupuncture and acupuncture in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) paradigm.

Medical acupuncture foundation course

I have always been interested in Western medical acupuncture and its potential role in primary care. Patients often ask for alternative treatment options that don’t involve drugs. The British Medical Acupuncture Society course was recommended to me by a couple of colleagues, one who had already been on it and another who was planning to attend it. The aspect of acupuncture that most interested me was its use in the management of musculoskeletal pain, because I felt that there is scope for its use in primary care. The course is run by the British Medical Acupuncture Society. It takes place over …

Investigating the Safety of Electroacupuncture with a Picoscope™

Our wish to know more about the paths taken by electrical currents in electroacupuncture (EA) with special reference to the heart, particularly in patients with an implanted pacemaker, prompted us to undertake this study. Using ourselves as subjects, we have developed a safe oscillographic method to detect, visualise and record the EA currents that avoids the use of equipment requiring mains electricity. After two trials with unsatisfactory equipment, we found that the newly developed model 3425 PicoScopeTM (Pico Technology Ltd), with a four channel differential amplifier input connected to a laptop PC operating in battery mode, satisfied our criteria. With this recording system, we carried out two sets of experiments in which EA was provided by a Cefar acus4TM stimulator. The results confirm that the placement of a pair of acupuncture needles for EA can be used to predict the paths taken by the stimulating currents, and thus their areas of likely influence. When the needles are placed in closely adjacent acupuncture points in a limb, there is little or no detectable spread of the currents along the limb or into the chest. By contrast, when the needles are placed far apart, the electrical currents spread widely. Thus, when each of a pair of needles is placed in a point on opposite arms, the electrical currents recorded in the area of the pectoral muscles is of an order that might trigger an abnormal cardiac rhythm in a susceptible heart or activate a cardiac pacemaker incorporating an intracardiac defibrillator (ICD). Our results confirm the guidelines for EA safe practice recommended by the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) to avoid adverse events, ie EA should not be applied such that the current is likely to traverse the heart. We can now be confident that electric fields generated by pairs of needles below the knee or elbow do not create detectable currents in the chest. It is likely that similar results would be obtained with the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) but this remains to be established by additional experiments.

Overview on the British Medical Acupuncture Society

针灸发源于中国,17世纪传入西方国家,因一些西方国家(如英国等)医学专业人员对中国传统针灸某些理论的排斥,只用针灸治疗一些肌肉骨骼痛.1980年英国医学针灸学会(BMAS,以下简称学会)成立,为国际针灸与相关技术医学会(ICMART)创始成员之一,负责主持两次国际会议,曾参与1990年版的经络命名标准化工作.学会的期刊 (Acupuncturein Medicine)创刊于1981年,已被多个数据库收录.该学会定期举办多层次不同水平的培训课程,可颁发相关的针灸专业资格证书或文凭,其会员资格现已获得不同卫生协会的认可,学会现已近2500名会员。

The Integration of Acupuncture within Medicine in the UK – the British Medical Acupuncture Society—s 25Th Anniversary

Acupuncture was first used in China, probable about 2000 years ago. When acupuncture first arrived in the West in the 17th century, the principles which the Chinese had used to explain its actions were at variance with current scientific knowledge of the body's structure and function. This led to the rejection of acupuncture by the medical profession in the UK, although individual practitioners adopted it with enthusiasm, usually needling the point of maximal tenderness to treat musculoskeletal pain. Acupuncture was more generally accepted in France and Germany, where the pioneering British physician Felix Mann encountered it in the 1950s. He then taught acupuncture to other medical practitioners and organised regular meetings in London, from which the British Medical Acupuncture Society, BMAS, emerged in 1980. The tradition of biannual scientific meetings has continued since then. The Society has many connections with prominent acupuncturists internationally and is a founder member of the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART), and has hosted two world congresses. The Society was involved in standardisation of the meridian nomenclature published in 1990. The Society's scientific journal, Acupuncture in Medicine, was founded in 1981 and has gained international recognition, being indexed on several databases. The Society has established regular teaching courses at different levels, which lead to professional qualifications of Certificate and Diploma. The membership is now open to different health professionals, has grown steadily and now stands at nearly 2500. The Society is administered from offices in Cheshire and London. Many individual members have contributed to the Society's characteristic Western 'medical' approach to acupuncture in which needling is seen as a form of neuromuscular stimulation that owes little to traditional meridians or points. The Society has shown a particular interest in acupuncture for myofascial trigger point pain. Members of the Society have contributed to the evidence base of acupuncture with several books, clinical trials and reviews. The Society is optimistic that it will have an increasingly important role in promoting the use and scientific evaluation of acupuncture for the public benefit.

Attitudes towards Traditional Acupuncture in the UK

The practice and philosophy of traditional (classical) acupuncture (TA), as opposed to Western acupuncture, remains a contentious issue within mainstream healthcare in the UK. In spite of the relative integration of acupuncture within orthodox medical practice, a lack of paradigm conformity continues to divide traditional from Western approaches. This study sought to explore the perceptions and attitudes of existing acupuncture clinicians in the UK, from a range of professional backgrounds and affiliations, towards traditional acupuncture philosophy and practice. In doing so, it attempted to determine the extent to which traditional approaches were both regarded as legitimate and utilised in practice within mainstream healthcare. A postal questionnaire was deployed that incorporated an ‘attitudes to TA’ scale developed from a validated ‘attitude to alternative medicine’ scale. The questionnaire was distributed to 250 randomly selected subjects, drawn from the membership of three key professional acupuncture associations: 100 from the membership of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS), 100 from the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and 50 from the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP). A response rate of 60.8% (n = 152) was obtained. Respondents held a broadly positive attitude towards TA (65 ± 12; 95% CI 62.9, 67.1), which included 39 BMAS respondents (54 ± 11; 95% CI 50.5, 57.5), 36 AACP respondents (63 ± 7; 95% CI 60.7, 65.3) and 53 BAcC respondents (75 ± 5; 95% CI 73.7, 76.3). No difference was found in attitude between 27 general practitioners and 13 hospital doctors (p > 0.1). More positive attitudes towards TA were found among younger BMAS respondents (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient [rs] = −0.353; 0.01 < p < 0.05). Of BAcC respondents, 62% used ‘trigger point’ theory, whereas 59% and 72% of respondents in the BMAS and AACP groups respectively used ‘channels’ theory. These findings confirm broadly positive attitudes towards TA within each of the professional groups from which data were drawn, although they do reveal a range of disparate attitudes to TA among the groups, particularly between the BMAS and BAcC members.

The use of acupuncture and attitudes to regulation among doctors in the UK--a survey.

To assess the usage of acupuncture by members of British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) in their daily work, in the course of a survey of attitudes to regulation of the acupuncture profession. A brief questionnaire survey of all members was conducted in December 2002. After a single mailing, 1112 members responded (a response rate of 48%). Seventy-five percent of these were general practitioners. The majority were in support of a regulatory process. Ninety percent of respondents indicated that they use acupuncture in their practice, giving an average of about eight treatments per week. Sixty-one percent of these treatments are given within the National Health Service (NHS) at no cost to the patient. It is estimated that BMAS members provide a total of about one million acupuncture treatments each year, of which well over half a million are given within the NHS.

Adverse events following acupuncture: prospective survey of 32 000 consultations with doctors and physiotherapists

Acupuncture is increasingly popular, but it is not free from risk for the patient.1 Safety is best established with prospective surveys. Our aim was to ascertain the incidence of adverse...

British Medical Acupuncture Society: Autumn Scientific Meeting

Focus on Alternative and Complementary TherapiesVolume 4, Issue 1 p. 37-37 British Medical Acupuncture Society: Autumn Scientific Meeting First published: 14 June 2010 https://doi.org/10.1211/fact.1999.00028Read the full textAbout ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume4, Issue1March 1999Pages 37-37 RelatedInformation

The west gets the point

Acupuncture is rooted in a traditional history that dates back at least 3000 years. Research has demonstrated the physiological and neurobiological basis for many of the effects of acupuncture, which has made it more acceptable for many Western physicians. This past year has seen research using single-photon-emission computerised tomography and functional magnetic reasonance imaging technology to examine the effect of body acupuncture on brain physiology. Proper research methodology is important in the evaluation of any treatment modality, and acupuncture has unique considerations when it comes to blinded prospective study. The important event of the past year was the Consensus Development Conference held by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in November 1997. The consensus panel evaluated existing clinical research and weighed the strength of the data supporting acupuncture for the treatment of various clinical conditions. The panel, after hearing presentations from experts in various areas, concluded that there is evidence that needle acupuncture treatment is effective for postoperative and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting, nausea in pregnancy, and postoperative dental pain. In addition, there are several conditions for which acupuncture may be effective as an adjunct therapy, as an acceptable alternative, or as part of a comprehensive treatment programme, although there is less convincing scientific data for this. These conditions include addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma. The data presented also suggest uses for other conditions. High-quality clinical research is needed regarding acupuncture therapy and outcomes. An unprecedented number of research grants were given this year. The NIH funded a US $1 million grant for a 3=year trial of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis. Three additional grants of US $300 000 to US $350 000 annually for 3 years were announced recently for back pain, dental pain, and depression. In the UK, the NHS Health and Technology Assessment Research and Development Programme awarded the Research Council for Complementary Medicine a 21⁄2 year grant of £130 000 to evaluate acupuncture for the management of headaches. There are several professional acupuncture societies for physicians practising acupuncture. These include the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the British Medical Acupuncture Society, and the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques. In the USA, the AAMA represents physicians, sets out training guidelines, and has

A Questionnaire on Medical Acupuncture Practice

Members of a medical acupuncture society were circulated by postal questionnaire to enquire into their acupuncture practice. Over half the replies were from general practitioners, with one third from anaesthetists. Most were using acupuncture for musculo-skeletal and general pain, but a large variety of conditions were reported as responding well by small numbers of practitioners, while others regarded these same conditions as being resistant to treatment. It is suggested that this was due to inadequate training, particularly for non painful disease which requires a more traditional and less Westernised approach. The British Medical Acupuncture Society has since modified its teaching structure to take account of this finding. Acupuncture is more popular with middle aged patients and, while medical referrals are common, most patients self-refer on the recommendation of friends and relations, but not until they have tried other therapies. Once they have experienced acupuncture they are more likely to come for initial treatment with any future problems. The majority (75%) of medical acupuncturists see less than 250 patients a year, and almost 50% see less than 100. Most seem to be conventional doctors who use acupuncture for particular problems in suitable patients. The authors believe that practising acupuncture from a firm base in conventional medicine is likely to give the greatest benefit to patients.

Practising Acupunture Today: A Postal Questionnaire of Medical Practitioners

This article summarises the main findings, as they pertain to physician acupuncturists of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS), of a general survey of British acupuncture practitioners carried out in 1995. The issues covered include: who uses acupuncture in the National Health Service (NHS), and in what settings; how much acupuncture is used in both the NHS and private practice; how much time is spent with patients; and the different ways in which General Practitioners fit acupuncture sessions into their general practice. Brief consideration is also given to conditions treated and style of acupuncture practised. Some possible implications of the findings for the expansion of provision within the NHS are raised.

The Bmas Basic Course: A Consumer Survey

A postal questionnaire was sent to all participants at the basic medical acupuncture courses for doctors organised by the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) over a 12 month period. There was a 78% response to this. The answers showed that 95% of GPs attending a course were using acupuncture as a treatment at least once a week, but 39% of hospital doctors had not practised acupuncture after their course. Point finding and the treatment of musculoskeletal pain were considered to be the most useful subjects in the course, while auricular and electro- acupuncture were the least popular. Those who had joined the BMAS thought that the most important functions of the Society were meeting other medical acupuncturists, attending further courses, and this Journal. The least important were accreditation and the availability of learning resources.

Needles about! The art of acupuncture

The ancient art of acupuncture is becoming more and more popular, and these days of bank-balance and budget mean that practitioners are reconsidering the benefits of a medical technique that is safe, simple and cheap. At a press conference in October, the British Medical Acupuncture Society put their case.