Volume 7, Issue 1 Spring 2010 Inside this Issue: Contact Information 2 Newsletter Informa- tion 2 Membership Benefits 2 Legislative Update 3 Editorial 5 Acupuncture College 6 Clean Needles 7 Dr. Tan Workshop 9 Recipe 10 Blogging 10 Allergies & Constitu- tion 12 Favorite Formulas 15 Calendar of Events 16 Welcome to the Spring edition of our newsletter. As leaves begin to appear on the trees and flowers begin to bloom, much is happening with acupuncture in Missouri. Legislation We have much to report on the legislative front. In January, the Governor proposed eliminating many boards and commis- sions, including the Acupuncture Advi- sory Committee (AAC). The AAC issues acupuncture licenses and helps ensure that only properly licensed individuals practice acupuncture. Since the Governor’s announcement, AAM has successfully proposed alternative legisla- tion that not only protects the Advisory Committee, but actually makes it better than before. See our enclosed article for a more detailed description. Events The March 6 th Continuing Education/ Banquet event in Kansas City was a big success. Lynn Maloney, L.Ac. presented a course on “Point Selection through the Five Elements”, which included the influ- ences of Shudo Denmei, J.R. Worsley, and the Kototama tradition. The class included hands-on demonstrations and breakout groups, with all of the partici- pants giving Lynn high marks for provid- ing interesting and useful insights into the five element traditions. In January, Michael Max, L.Ac. taught a course on herbal formula families and con- stitution at his clinic in St Louis. We are very grateful that Michael was willing to share what he has learned in his many trips to China, studying under Dr. Huang. Proceeds from the event were donated to AAM. Maureen Fox, L.Ac, attended the training, and has written an article explaining all that we learned in this newsletter. Our next convention will be held on June 5 th and 6 th in St Louis; registration materi- als are enclosed. We are very excited to be hosting Dr. Richard Tan for his first visit to Missouri. We will hold elections for the Executive Committee at the con- vention. If you would like to run for an office, please contact any Executive Board member or Jill Hancock at Penman & Winton (573) 635-6044 or jill@penman- winton.com . President’s Report SHO MI: (Japanese) There are many ways to translate SHO MI: bright soul, various hearts, first experience, correct heart (soul) (body), beginning person and shedding light on experiences. Japanese words such as Kyo, Jitsu, Gogio, Te A Te do not translate adequately. Sometimes the sound is enough. Perhaps there is no need to trans- late; just know that when you hear “Show Me,” they are talking about our work-to shed light. Sho Mi TO SHED LIGHT ON EXPERIENCES John Schmieder , L.Ac. www.missouriacupuncture.org
Transcript
Volume 7, Issue 1
Spr in g 2 01 0
Inside this Issue: Contact Information 2
Newsletter Informa-tion
2
Membership Benefits 2
Legislative Update 3
Editorial 5
Acupuncture College 6
Clean Needles 7
Dr. Tan Workshop 9
Recipe 10
Blogging 10
Allergies & Constitu-tion
12
Favorite Formulas 15
Calendar of Events 16
Welcome to the Spring edition of our newsletter. As leaves begin to appear on the trees and flowers begin to bloom, much is happening with acupuncture in Missouri. Legislation We have much to report on the legislative front. In January, the Governor proposed eliminating many boards and commis-sions, including the Acupuncture Advi-sory Committee (AAC). The AAC issues acupuncture licenses and helps ensure that only properly licensed individuals practice acupuncture. Since the Governor’s announcement, AAM has successfully proposed alternative legisla-tion that not only protects the Advisory Committee, but actually makes it better than before. See our enclosed article for a more detailed description. Events The March 6th Continuing Education/Banquet event in Kansas City was a big success. Lynn Maloney, L.Ac. presented a course on “Point Selection through the Five Elements”, which included the influ-ences of Shudo Denmei, J.R. Worsley, and the Kototama tradition. The class
included hands-on demonstrations and breakout groups, with all of the partici-pants giving Lynn high marks for provid-ing interesting and useful insights into the five element traditions. In January, Michael Max, L.Ac. taught a course on herbal formula families and con-
stitution at his clinic in St Louis. We are very grateful that Michael was willing to share what he has learned in his many trips to China, studying under Dr. Huang. Proceeds from the event were donated to AAM. Maureen Fox, L.Ac,
attended the training, and has written an article explaining all that we learned in this newsletter. Our next convention will be held on June 5th and 6th in St Louis; registration materi-als are enclosed. We are very excited to be hosting Dr. Richard Tan for his first visit to Missouri. We will hold elections for the Executive Committee at the con-vention. If you would like to run for an office, please contact any Executive Board member or Jill Hancock at Penman & Winton (573) 635-6044 or [email protected].
President’s Report
SHO MI: (Japanese) There are many ways to translate SHO MI: bright soul, various hearts, first experience, correct heart (soul) (body), beginning person and shedding light on experiences. Japanese words such as Kyo, Jitsu, Gogio, Te A Te do not translate adequately. Sometimes the sound is enough. Perhaps there is no need to trans-late; just know that when you hear “Show Me,” they are talking about our work-to shed light.
Sho Mi T O S HED LI G HT O N EXP ER IE NCES
John Schmieder , L.Ac.
www.missouriacupuncture.org
AAM Membership Benefits
AAM Quarterly Newsletter
Discounted Rate at AAM Annual Convention
10% Discount for AAOM Membership Dues~(866) 455-7999
5% Discount with Redwing Book Company~(800) 873-3946
Fundraising, Jan Ste. Germaine, L.Ac. (816) 842-2882 ▪ [email protected]
Acupuncture Advisory Committee (573) 526-1555
http://pr.mo.gov/acupuncturist.asp
NCCAOM (703) 548-9004
www.nccaom.org
Acupuncture Association of Missouri (AAM)
Sho Mi is a quarterly newsletter with circulation to licensed acupuncturists in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma. We welcome articles, letters, book reviews and artwork. Sponsorships Full Page………………………………………….$125.00 Half Page…………………………………………..$80.00 Classified (up to 30 words)………………………….$25.00 The Sho Mi newsletter is published in March, June, Septem-ber, and December. All articles and sponsorships must be re-ceived three weeks prior to the month of publication. Articles should be submitted in Microsoft Word and sponsorships in Jpeg format. For more information please contact Jill Hancock at (573) 635-6044 or [email protected].
Please remember that sponsors in our newsletter support our organization . Thank them for their support by taking
advantage of their products and services.
SHO MI encourages members to submit articles, letters, book reviews and articles.
The information and opinions expressed in Sho Mi are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent
those of the Acupuncture Association of Missouri (AAM).
PAGE 2 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1
SHO MI PAGE 3
Legislative Update
In January, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proposed the elimina-tion of many boards and commis-sions, with the goal of saving money and reducing waste. In-cluded on the list to be elimi-nated was the Acupuncture Advi-sory Committee (AAC). The AAC has a number of impor-tant functions, including approv-ing new licensees, ensuring that untrained practitioners do not practice acupuncture, and re-viewing any patient/public com-plaints. Under the Governor’s proposal, the AAC would have ceased to exist, and all licensing/enforcement issues would have been handled by the Missouri Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Since that time, AAM has organ-ized discussions with legislators through our lobbying firm, Pen-man and Winton. We have ex-plained how this proposal would put one group of licensees
(acupuncturists) completely un-der the control of another (Doctors of Chiropractic). We have also pointed out how this proposal would save little to no government funds, as our licens-ing fees support AAC expenses and a portion of the salaries of the state employees who com-plete tasks for the AAC. The first hearings for Senate Bill 991, which will address all of the boards and commissions in the Governor’s proposal, occurred on March 1st. At the hearing, Afua Bromley, AAM’s past presi-dent, testified on our behalf. This testimony resulted in new language to be drafted regarding our profession. Specifically, on March 18th, Sen-ate Bill 991 was voted out of committee with compromise language that states the follow-ing: ▪ The Acupuncture Advisory Committee would remain sepa-rate from the MO Board of Chi-ropractic Examiners and maintain
its current authority to license and regulate our profession. ▪ The AAC would be made up of only three licensed acupunc-turists, instead of the current structure of five members (which currently includes a licensed chi-ropractor and a public member in addition to the three licensed acupuncturists). ▪ The AAC would be renamed the Acupuncture Licensing Com-mittee to more clearly state its function. As part of the compromise and to save administrative expenses, AAC funds would now be com-mingled with funds from the MO Board of Chiropractic Examiners. However, separate ledgers would continue to be maintained and each organization would not have access to the others' funds.
—Continued on Page 14
AAM To Elect New Board A new board will be elected during the AAM annual convention on June 5-6 in St. Louis. Nominations are
accepted every year for all positions, including President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. The term for each office begins at the termination of the Convention until the Convention the following year on the first
weekend in June.
The officers serving on the board ensure the fulfillment of the association's goals to promote the safe and legal practice of acupuncture in Missouri.
Please help us create our next Board by nominating one of your willing peers or even nominating yourself by
Editorial—Submitted by Afua Bromley, L.Ac. Past AAM President
Senate Bill 991: Opportunity in the Midst of Drama Note: For background on the legislation described in this editorial, see our “Legislative Update” in this issue. When many Missouri acupunc-turists were first informed about the proposed elimination of the Acupuncture Advisory Commit-tee, the response was largely an-ger, coupled with a bit of anxi-ety. However, as with most things in life, sometimes a seem-ingly traumatic event can present new opportunities. In my opin-ion, the recent changes to Senate Bill 991 with regards to the Acu-puncture Advisory Committee may be viewed as a positive step for the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine profession in Missouri. And, while the events of the last few months since Governor Nixon announced the Acupunc-ture Advisory Committee was going to be eliminated may have added a few gray hairs, here are a few positive outcomes: ▪ Should Senate Bill 991 bill
pass (which includes AAM’s recommendations for im-proved language regarding our profession), the Acu-puncture Advisory Commit-tee will be renamed the Acu-puncture Licensing Commit-tee, which more reflects its responsibilities and recog-nizes its board-like responsi-bilities.
▪ This experience has brought to light the necessity of bet-ter education of state legisla-tors and the general public regarding the profound dis-tinction between chiroprac-tors, who practice meridian therapy, and licensed acu-puncturists. Both lawmak-ers and prospective consum-ers of acupuncture services have very limited knowledge as to there being any distinc-tion between the respective professions.
▪ Acupuncturists have now had
an opportunity to state on record the training and prac-tice differences between li-censed acupuncturists and chiropractors with meridian certificates. At the very least 6 senators now understand the differences.
▪ As a profession, we have
now raised the profile of acu-puncturists to state legisla-tors and the Governor’s of-fice by virtue of expressing our strong opposition to the proposed elimination.
▪ Licensed Missouri acupunc-
turists have the cooperation of the Chiropractic Board regarding the Governor’s proposal (the lobbyist for the Chiropractice Association testified that they also op-posed the merging of the two licensing bodies, and want to keep acupuncture licensing separate)
▪ Licensed Missouri acupunc-turists around the state con-tinue to have an opportunity and a greater responsibility to maintain a higher profile with legislators, demonstrat-ing our professional expertise and viability as a future board and our importance to the community at large. If an independent acupuncture board is a future goal, we need to get to know our leg-islators. The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Lastly, the proposed changes fur-ther demonstrate the necessity for a professional acupuncture association. There is strength in numbers, and it is crucial to re-main vigilant. Had we not re-sponded swiftly and retained the services of Penman & Winton, who successfully guided us through the legislative and politi-cal process, we may have had our licensing body eliminated. Our work is not over with the passage or failure of Senate Bill 991. We need more active par-ticipants in our association. The bulk of the work is still being done by a few. If you have been active in the association, thank you. If not, step up! Your first opportunity to do so is at our convention on June 5 & 6. We are accepting nominations for all Executive Board positions. If that’s not your style, you can head up a subcommittee, or just volunteer to help with one.
Afua Bromley, L.Ac.
PAGE 6
A small gathering of friends met March 27th to share thoughts and ideas with the President and founder, Qizhi Gao. We toured the new location which is being built to meet the needs of a school of Oriental Medicine. As we walked around the wall studs, Dr Gao pointed out the herbal clinic, classrooms, kitchen, of-fices and clinic rooms. In less than a month this clinic & school with be completed and open its door to the public. An open house for the public is planned at the school on Mon-day, April 26th from 6:00-8:30pm at the new school.
KCCM is located at 14720 Metcalf Ave., Ste 130, Overland Park, KS 66223. For directions, you can Mapquest the address; however, add these specifics to your directions: Turn west onto 147th street, turn left into the first parking lot, and drive through that parking lot to the second building. For a catalog or additional infor-mation call 888-481-5226 or email [email protected]. The KCCM website address is www.KCCM.edu.
VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 1
Acupuncture College Opening in the Kansas City Area
Kathleen Coleton , L.Ac.
Kansas College of Chinese Medi-cine will begin offering classes in Oriental Medicine, Qi Gong and Massage starting May 4, 2010. Their new location in Overland Park, KS is located at 14720 Metcalf Ave. in a newly built office building. KCCM, which currently offers classes in Wichita, will offer a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine, an Associate Degree in Oriental Body work and a 600 hour Cer-tificate in Massage Therapy. KCCM aims to provide a quality education in the art, science and professional practice of Tradi-tional Chinese Medicine.
SHO MI PAGE 7
As Printed in Acupunc-ture Today By Michael Jabbour, MS, LAc, Wil-liam Morris, DAOM, PhD, LAc and Steven Schram, PhD, DC, Lac A recent article in the British Medical Journal by Woo et al. ar-gues that infection from acupunc-ture needles is a serious prob-lem.1 Pointing at 50 cases world-wide since 1970, the author im-plies that acupuncture is danger-ous because the risk of infection is high and that acupuncturists are not using sufficient care to prevent infections. Both asser-tions are patently false, the risks
sees an average of 50 patients per week. This equates to roughly 1.5 million treatments per week and 78 million acupuncture treat-ments per year. This does not include the multitude of acu-puncturists in Europe, Australia or the Far East, where acupunc-ture is routinely practiced and, in main cases, fully integrated into mainstream medicine and gov-ernment-reimbursed health care. The claim of 50 disparate infec-tions worldwide over a 40-year period comes to approximately one infection per year globally. If anything, this article highlights the extraordinary safety of acu-
puncture treatments, not that acupuncture presents a danger to the public. Given the billions of acupuncture treatments administered worldwide, it is clear that there is an extremely low risk of infection from acu-puncture needle insertion. If these same low levels of adverse events were re-ported for any treatment method in conventional medical practice, that treat-ment would rightly and rou-tinely be touted as a huge success. With regard to mainstream medical prac-tice, an average of 195,000 people in the U.S. died due to potentially prevent-able, in-hospital medical er-rors
—Continued on Page 13
greatly exaggerated and, if any-thing, has clarified for the public how safe trained practitioners of acupuncture are. Every medical treatment from aspirin to brain surgery carries some risk and acupuncture is no excep-tion. According to one study, "Although the incidence of minor adverse events associated with acupuncture may be consider-able, serious adverse events are rare."2
Consider the facts in context. There are currently 30,000 acu-puncturists and 8,000 acupunc-ture students in the U.S. Each
Clean Needles for Acupuncture Safety
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1 PAGE 8
SHO MI PAGE 9
Dr. Richard Tan is coming to Missouri for the first time this June to teach the Balance Method. I am delighted he is coming to our little corner of the Midwest, and I hope to see you at this event. When I was a student, I was in-troduced to Dr. Tan’s Balance Method and was immediately intrigued. I was impressed by the flexibility of the system and the instant results one can achieve with it. I love that pa-tients can feel significant or total pain relief in a matter of seconds after needle insertion. Needless to say, they love it too. Since that time, I have studied and practiced the Balance Method extensively. I use this method for about 80% of my treatments. What I love about Dr Tan’s Bal-ance Method workshops is that they make me fall in love with acupuncture all over again. He generates enthusiasm and his ab-solute certainty of the power of acupuncture to heal is conta-gious. This energy keeps me
coming back to his workshops even though I know most of the basic information already. For those of you not familiar with the Balance Method, it is a sys-tem of acupuncture based on the I Ching and the principle of dis-tal, or non-local, treatments. It is very much a meridian based system of acupuncture rooted in channel theory and relationships. It is based on the principal that “to treat the right side you needle the left” and “to treat the upper part of the body you needle the lower part”. It is a surprisingly versatile sys-tem. You can treat a simple thing like neck pain numerous ways. Even after working with the system for over 5 years, I am finding new ways to treat com-mon conditions. This keeps me engaged in a continual learning process. Since one can expect immediate results with the Bal-ance Method, one can easily gauge the effectiveness of a par-ticular treatment. For instance, if I am treating someone with a
Why You Should Come to Richard Tan’s Workshop condition like neck pain, I will work with them until I get at least 50% pain relief and in-creased range of motion. And this doesn’t take a long time. It may take only a few minutes to evaluate and needle someone to get this level of relief. Patients are amazed at how quickly nee-dles can affect pain in a com-pletely separate area in the body. Of all the systems of acupuncture I have learned, I would have to say that the Balance Method has been by far the most useful. Not only has it been useful, but it has been one of the easiest systems to incorporate into the clinic. After a class with Dr. Tan, I would go into the clinic and start applying it immediately. It isn’t compli-cated and once I had the basics down, I became quite adept at it. Of course, I still plan to attend the course this June to soak up some more great techniques, energy, and enthusiasm. See you there! Bryan Wagner , L.Ac.
See enclosed information regarding Dr. Tan Workshop hosted by the AAM on June 5-6 in St. Louis.
Contact (573) 635-6044 or [email protected] for additional information. We hope to see you there!
Simple Springtime Soup Recipe - Green Jade Soup (drives out evil pathogens) adapted from The Tao of Cooking by Sally Pasley Serves 4 ▪ 3 dried Chinese mushrooms (big black and white mushrooms that tonify qi) ▪ 4 cups vegetable stock ▪ ½ cup carrots, peeled and cut to one inch matchstick size ▪ ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions ▪ ½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms of your choice ▪ about 10 spinach leaves ▪ 3 tablespoons soy sauce Directions ▪ Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Drain, reserving stock. Slice
mushrooms into thin strips. ▪ Combine reserved mushroom stock with vegetable stock and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Add carrots, green
onions, and both types of mushrooms. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add spinach and soy sauce, and cook for a few more minutes to barely wilt spinach. Taste for seasoning.
▪ You may add thin Japanese noodles for a more filling soup. It is good served with nori rolls or tempura.
Blogging for Acupunks Business is relationship, espe-cially in our business. These days, it is extremely rare that a poten-tial patient will pick up the yel-low pages or respond to an ad in print media when looking for an acupuncturist. Most referrals come via word of mouth, and increasingly these days from the presence you have on the Inter-net. Google, HTML, SEO, blogs and keywords—And you thought we had some strange terminology in Chinese medicine. If you are nodding your head and under-standing the above terms you can quit reading right now, I’ve noth-ing new to share with you. But, if your eyes glazed over halfway through, read on! There is infor-mation here that will not only improve your business, but strengthen the relationship you have with your patients.
blog can be the reason why they pick up the phone in the first place! It is about connecting—Everybody likes to do business with people they enjoy and trust. A blog is the open door that al-lows people to come in and begin to get to know you. It is the very softest and most friendly type of advertising around! Michael Max did a ten-year stint in the computer world before we all started typing www dot. None of the knowledge he ac-quired at that time is remotely useful in today’s Internet soaked world. You can visit Yong Kang C l i n i c ’ s b l o g a t www.yongkangc l inic .com/gateway, or his translations and musing on Shang Han Lun for-m u l a s a t www.classicformulas.com. Want a glimpse of life in China, www on over to yongkangclinic.com/
Unlike “old” media, which was uni-directional, the new media of the Internet is a two-way chan-nel. We can take advantage of this, both to promote our busi-nesses, but more importantly to communicate with our patients. One of the best ways to do this is by having a “blog” attached to your website. Having a blog al-lows you to share information with your clientele and demon-strate your expertise. Think about how delighted your patients would be if you can save them a trip to the office because of a blog entry that helped them to solve a problem with kitchen table medicine or acupressure. Or perhaps a post of yours helps them to realize that acupuncture can help them with a nagging problem that they never dis-cussed with you. Blogging not only demonstrates your exper-tise, but gives potential patients a chance to get to know you before they ever pick up the phone for an appointment. In fact, your
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1 PAGE 10
Michael Max, L.Ac.
SHO MI PAGE 11
PAGE 12 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1
Allergies & Constitution We are entering that time of year when a large number of our pa-tients will be coming to us for relief from allergies. Spring’s vivid explosion of chartreuse brings with it misery for those with compromised Wei Qi. To-day we will take a look at how constitution can help guide you in the selection of an herbal for-mula that eliminates your pa-tient’s wandering around in the allergy section of the drugstore. Magic of the Jade Wind-screen How many of you have given Jade Windscreen Powder (yù píng fëng sân) to one of your patients, and when later asked how they are doing you hear the common refrain of “the allergies are a little better, I think.” We all know that politely means they are eating Claritin like candy. While we learn in school that Jade Wind-screen is for those with weak Wei Qi and that it is the pre-scription of choice for allergies and preventing colds, in reality its use is often a disappointment. What is going on here? Jade Windscreen Powder (yù píng fëng sân) is a great formula
This is where the idea of consti-tution proves to be very helpful in the clinic. We may have two patients with allergies and they sweat easily, but one is plump and with a bit of edema through-out the body, while the other is thin and prone to palpitations and an exaggerated dislike of wind and drafts. The former would indeed benefit from Jade Wind Screen, but the latter is going to do better with Cinnamon Twig Decoction (guì zhï täng). Get a handle on your patient’s constitu-tional tendencies, give them a formula that regulates their unique constellation, and watch for better clinical results. About the author: Michael Max, L.Ac. practices Chinese medicine in Kirkwood, MO (near St Louis). In his spare time he works on translating some of the wealth of Chinese medicine into English. Follow his thoughts about herbal medicine on www.classicformulas.com. You can also download a transla-tion of an article his teacher in Taiwan wrote on treating allergic rhinitis at http://tinyurl.com/docjiang.
for boosting the Wei Qi, but only if there are accompanying signs of dampness. Take a quick glance at the three herbs in this prescription. Astragali Radix (huáng qí), which does stabilize the exterior, also drains fluids and is a commonly used in the treatment of edema. Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (bái zhú): Again we are looking at an aro-matic herb that treats dampness. Finally, Saposhnikoviae Radix (fáng fëng), is a fine herb for treat-ing the exterior by releasing wind, but is also drying. While this formula is an excellent fit for those with the water retention and dampness of an Astragalus constitution, it is not the best prescription for those who tend toward Yin deficiency, or those who’s sensitive Liver is the source of their problems. Consider Constitution We all know that Chinese medi-cine places a significant emphasis on “writing formulas to fit the presentation.” The idea that we can simply chose a prescription based on symptoms runs counter to the basic principle of getting to the root of an issue through the process of differential diagnosis.
Michael Max, L.Ac.
AAM Membership Year: June 1-May 30 Renewal Rate: $125
New Member Rate: $60 Associate Member Rate: $50
Student of Acupuncture: $35
SHO MI PAGE 13
Clean Needles Continued…. —Continued from Page 7
from 2000 to 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records that was released by HealthGrades, the health care quality company.3 In addition to the deaths, 1.14 million pa-tients also suffered a "safety in-cident," which represents one in four Medicare patients admitted from 2000 to 2002.4 Another risk gauge for infection or other side effects in acupunc-ture is the cost of malpractice insurance. A $1 million to $3 million policy for an acupunctur-ist in the U.S. is less than $800/year. If there was an infection risk of any magnitude, the premi-ums would be significantly higher. According to Adrian White, clinical research fellow at the Peninsula Medical School, and Mike Cummings, both editors of Acupuncture in Medicine, the risks associated with acupuncture can be considered negligible in the hands of competent practitio-ners.5-7 In fact, White and Cum-mings go further to say that the currently published opinion of medical experts is that routine disinfection of skin prior to nee-dle insertion is actually unneces-sary in healthy patients, even though it is regularly practiced in acupuncture clinics in the U.S.8,9 Woo's second claim that acu-puncturists are not using suffi-
editorial process. The publication of inaccurate and alarmist data that does not consider current safety precautions is ill-conceived and irresponsible on the part of the author and the publisher. The article created the impression that acupuncture may be danger-ous, while in fact, the readily available data shows extraordi-nary safety compared to many other medical interventions. The subsequent dissemination of this editorial via the BBC Web site and other news outlets raises dis-proportionate concern and fear mongering regarding one of the safest of the medical practices. The reach of this inaccurate arti-cle continues worldwide. It is being republished on the BBC, Reuters, FOX News, and a growing number of other news organizations. This misinforma-tion could lead to unnecessary panic and people choosing not to use this safe and effective treat-ment modality. An immediate public statement of clarification by the BMJ is warranted to pre-serve its reputation and give a balanced, accurate representation of factual medical information. All authors of this article are members of the American Asso-ciation of Acupuncture and Ori-ental Medicine (AAAOM) and active contributors to the com-munity through academic, re-search, professional, legislative and regulatory work. One of the primary purposes of the AAAOM
—Continued on Page 16
cient care to prevent infections is also not factual. Without current best acupuncture practices, Woo states that the cause of most out-breaks was from "improperly sterilized reusable acupuncture needles." But he fails to mention the fact that qualified acupunc-turists in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and many other countries must adhere to strict clean-needle guidelines and, by law, may only use sterile, single-use disposable needles.10 In fact, the article fails to cite research published in the same jour-nal showing acupuncture to be extremely safe when practiced by a trained acupuncturist.6
The Woo article errs on two counts. It sensationalizes negligi-ble risk and omits current best practices that mitigate what little risk is, in fact, there. Addition-ally, Woo's analysis undermines the scientific and regulatory in-tegrity of the profession, clearly pointing to academic bias. What would be more appropriate and useful to health care providers and the public is recent data taken from prospective studies of the incidence of infection from acupuncture.11,12 This would place the risk associated with acupuncture treatment delivered in the U.S., U.K., and Europe in true perspective. It is perplexing to the academic community how this irrelevant and misleading editorial was al-lowed through the BMJ's rigorous
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1 PAGE 14
Legislative Update
—Continued from Page 3 This compromise legislation ac-tually creates a better situation than we had before the Governor proposed eliminating the AAC. Under this arrangement, the AAC would be made up of only acupuncturists and named more appropriately. Therefore, AAM is in support of passing Senate Bill 991. You can see the lan-guage of SB991 at the Missouri State website by going to http://www.senate.mo.gov/ and enter-ing SB991 in the “Search for a Bill” section.
While predicting outcomes is always a risky business, we are optimistic that this compromise language has a good probability of passage. The Governor's of-fice is working closely with legis-lators to find language that is mu-tually agreeable, as many groups like ours were strongly opposed to the original language. Please stay tuned for further up-dates in future newsletters or via email. Thanks for your attention and encouragement in the past few months. We are grateful to Scott Penman and his staff for their excellent guidance through
this situation. Also, we appreci-ate the response from the chiro-practic community, which also testified against merging the AAC into the Chiropractic Board of Examiners. If this article is the first you’ve heard of this situation, then we need your email address! We have been sending updates about this situation every 10-14 days. To add yourself to the email list, please contact Jill Hancock at [email protected]. Please provide your postal address in the message as well, so we can optimize email messages by area.
John Schmieder , L.Ac.
SHO MI PAGE 15
Favorite Formulas Fundraiser
Thanks to Michael Max, LAc for hosting a fundraising lecture at his Yong Kang (Eternal Health) Clinic in Kirkwood, MO. As a student of Dr. Huang Huang and a translator of his book, Ten Key Formula Families in Chinese Medicine, Michael gave an in-sightful and entertaining lecture. He invited us to look at formula presentations, constitutions, and the signs and symptoms that con-firm the selection of a formula is appropriate. This approach to herbal medicine groups formulas into families that have similar
core ingredients and actions. These formula families can then be compared to each other to further clarify the appropriate formula selection. As an example, we looked at The Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill. Individuals who respond well to this formula tend to have red or flushed faces, dry skin on the legs, and pain when the abdomen is palpated. Lumps may be felt on palpation as well. They can be seen as having a stagnant blood type constitution.
The lecture, and our discussion afterward gave us an opportunity to learn, and to spend time with others who love this medicine. As a bonus, all donations from those attending were given to the Acupuncture Association of Mis-souri. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Huang or the use of classical formulas, visit Mi-c h a e l ’ s w e b s i t e a t www.classicalformulas.com. You can also attend the seminar spon-sored by the Illinois Association of Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine. Dr. Huang is presenting on July 24th and 25th in Chicago. More detailed informa-tion on this is included in this newsletter.
Maureen Fox , L.Ac.
—Continued from Page 13 is to promote adherence to high ethical, safety, and professional standards on part of the practitioner. The AAAOM works with a wide range of national and international standards-setting and re-search organizations, legislative and regulatory bodies, and institutions that oversee, govern, and advance the prac-tice of acupuncture and Oriental medi-cine. The AAAOM takes patient risks associated with acupuncture seriously and works to advance the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the safest ways possible. References 1. Woo PCY, Lin AWC, Lau SKP, Yuen KY. Acupuncture transmit-ted infections. BMJ 2010;340:c1268. 2. Ernst E, White AR. Prospective studies of the safety of acupunc-ture: a systematic review. Am J Med 2001;110:481-5. 3. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/11856.php. 4. w w w . w h a l e . t o / a /iatrogenic_q.html. 5. White A, Hayhoe S, Hart A, et al. Adverse events following acu-puncture: prospective survey of 32 000 consultations with doctors and physiotherapists. BMJ 2001;323(7311):485-6. 6. MacPherson H, Thomas K, Walters S, et al. The York acupuncture safety study: prospective survey of 34 000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists. BMJ 2001;323(7311):486-7. 7. Witt CM, Pach D, Brinkhaus B, et al. Safety of acupuncture: results of a prospective observational study with 229,230 patients and introduction of a medical infor-mation and consent form. Forsch Komplementmed 2009;16(2):91-7.
Clean Needles Continued…. Calendar of Events
June 2010 5-6 Annual Convention Featuring Dr. Tan St. Louis, MO
8. Walsh B. Control of infection in acupuncture. Acupunct Med 2001;19(2):109-11 9. Hoffman P. Skin disinfection and acupuncture. Acupunct Med 2001;19(2):112-6. 10. www.ccaom.org/cntprogram.asp. 11. White A. The safety of acu-puncture; evidence from the UK. Acupunct Med 2006;24(Suppl):S53-7. 12. Witt CM, et al. Efficacy, effec-tiveness, safety and costs of acu-puncture for chronic pain; results of a large research initiative. Acu-punct Med 2006;24(suppl):S33-9. Michael Jabbour speaks on technology, medicine and politics pertaining to tra-ditional Chinese medicine. He is one of the founding directors of the New York State Acupuncture Coalition and the current president of the Acupuncture Society of New York, and chairs the AAAOM Medical Integration commit-tee. He maintains a private acupuncture and herbology practice in midtown Manhattan. Will Morris is president of the Acad-emy of Oriental Medicine at Austin and the past president of the American As-sociation of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM). He can be reached at [email protected]. Dr. Steven Schram has been a licensed acupuncturist since 1996. He is the past president of the Acupuncture Society of New York, and is the current president of the Manhattan District of the NY State Chiropractic Association. In addi-tion, he serves on the Insurance Com-mittee of the AAAOM, remains a mem-ber in the States President's Council of the AAAOM, and has maintained a pri-vate practice in Manhattan since 1984.
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