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I posted last week a email i received from the British Acupuncture

Council on regulation in the UK. I replied as follows:

 

Atti: Thank you for your email. I take it then that doctors and

nurses who have been on weekend courses will still be allowed to

practice acupuncture in their associated hospitals?

 

The British Acupuncture Council replied today stating:

 

 

The short answer to that question is yes, but the background is

rather more complex

 

The Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group decided early in its

discussions that it would be impossible to aim for protection of

function as well as protection of title - dentists, for example, have

both; no-one can even practice dentistry in any form unless they are

properly qualified and regsitered. Too many people use acupuncture in

valid and important ways (drug detox, etc whose practice no

legislator would want to outlaw) for protection of function to be

sustainable. Protection of title is another matter and this is what

is being discussed for acupuncturists.

 

With protection of title, the title 'acupuncturist' will only be

able to be used by practitioners who have achieved high educational

standards, whether these be traditional acupuncturists, medical

acupuncturists or physiotherapists. Anyone else who uses acupuncture

will be subject to the rules of the regulating body under which they

fall, but will not be able to call themselves acupuncturists. The

standards which they will have to attain will be monitored by the

regulatory body in conjunction with the new Acupuncture Council.

 

The experience of the osteopaths has been that the advent of

statutory regulation has meant that people have more often than not

chosen to go to a registered professional than someone who uses it as

an adjunctive technique.

 

Many BAcC practitioners feel uncomfortable with the fact that in the

short term there will be many people offering acupuncture as an

adjunct whose standards fall short of a professional acupuncturist,

but the BAcC's preferred strategy is to emphasise its members

strengths rather than attack other people's weaknesses, especially

since many BAcC members aspire to working alongside orthodox health

professionals in the NHS.

 

Atti: i fear the worst for TCM in the UK. As you may know, the vast

majority of healthcare is available free on the National Health

Service (NHS). If doctors and nurses are allowed to continue giving

acupuncture to patients after attending a weekend course, this could

signal the dead nail for TCM in the UK. Why go and see a

acupuncturist in your local high street when you can get it for free

on the NHS. Even now, hospital pain clinics are administered

by 'real' qualified acupuncturist but don't get paid!

 

These are worrying times.

 

Attilio

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In a message dated 8/12/03 7:48:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time, acubapat writes:

1. IF DOCTORS & OTHER PROFESSIONALS CAN STUDYACUPUNCTURE IN A WEEKEND COURSE WHY NOT PERMITACUPUNCTURISTS WHO KNOW ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY TO STUDYIN A WEEKENDD COURSE & PRACTISE MEDICINE.

Hi Anand,

 

I won't copy the whole of your message but I totally agree. One of the most difficult things we have here in New York and other places is that MD's with minimal education have no trouble getting insurance reimbursement for their clients but they are not really practicing it as a modality. They are practicing WM and then doing a few points for an extra $90. or so. Also it keeps people who could really get help from correctly trained practitioners from seeing them.

 

Also I agree with the above argument in that after practicing for a while you pretty much get the idea behind the different RX's that are used for any specific problem which generally are no more than 5 and from what I can tell it's usually a trial and error system. We could certainly learn it in a few weekends. I sometimes send people back to their primary care for tests based on our pattern diagnosis or treatment response which is not as I expect etc.

 

Of course I go on and on but what I would like to see is the profession insist that anyone who wants to practice OM take a full 3 year course just as we would have to do to practice Chiropractic's and WM. At the very least they should be restricted from using the term acupuncturist without full training. By the way in CT. the chiropractors were and may have gotten permission to use their Dr. titles to qualify for short term learning courses and the ability to be "acupuncturists" and it seems like we here are always working to stop some profession or other from being us.

 

Bobbi

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HI,

I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT THAT IT WOULD BE THE DEATH

KNELL FOR TRADITIONAL ACUPUNCTURE AS IT SHOULD BE

PRACTISED. A LOT OF PEOPLE ESPECIALLY OFFICIALS HAVE

NOT THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

THEY FEEL THAT IF WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE PRACTISING THEN

IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE PROFESSION.

I TOTALLY DISAGREE.

LET US TAKE IT POINT BY POINT.

 

1. IF DOCTORS & OTHER PROFESSIONALS CAN STUDY

ACUPUNCTURE IN A WEEKEND COURSE WHY NOT PERMIT

ACUPUNCTURISTS WHO KNOW ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY TO STUDY

IN A WEEKENDD COURSE & PRACTISE MEDICINE.

2. THEY DO IT FOR FREE IN THE HEALTH SETTING & REALLY

HAVE NO CONCEPT OF THE POTENTIAL OF ACUPUNCTURE.

3. THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE. IF THE RESULTS

HAPPEN TO BE GOOD THEY GLOAT IN IT. IF BAD THEY SAY IT

DOES NOT WORK. THEY DO NOT SAY THEY WERE POOR

CRAFTSMEN & HENCE THE POOR RESULTS.

4. WHEN THEY GET GOOD RESULTS WHICH MAY BE MORE LUCK

THAN KNOWLEDGE, THEY CLAIM ACUPUNCTURE IS SO EASY THAT

EVERYONE CAN LEARN IT.

5. THEY PRACTISE IT PART TIME IN CONJUNCTION WITH & AS

A COMPLEMENT TO OTHER THERAPIES THAT THEY UTILISE.

6.THEYARE ALWAYS OPERATING AT THE VERY SKELETON LEVEL

OF KNOWLEDGE NEVER KNOWING WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED.

7. VERY FEW OF THEM USE THE FULL MODALITIES OF PULSE,

TONGUE DIAGNOSIS, ETC. THEY BASE THEIR TEATMENT ON

WESTERN MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS.

BESIDES TREATMENT OPTIONS WILL RANGE FROM LASER OR

ELECTRO ACUP EVEN RESORTING TO TENS. VERY FEW OF THEM

WILL USE CUPPING, MOXA, NEEDLE WARMING & OTHER

TECHNIQUES.

8. THEY NEVER WILL LOOK AT THE CAUSE OF THE DISEASE AS

THEY ARE ONLY USING IT FOR RELIEF OF SYMPTOMS & NOT

CURES AS POSSIBLE IN CM.

ANAND

 

 

 

 

--- <attiliodalberto

wrote: >

> I posted last week a email i received from the

> British Acupuncture

> Council on regulation in the UK. I replied as

> follows:

>

> Atti: Thank you for your email. I take it then that

> doctors and

> nurses who have been on weekend courses will still

> be allowed to

> practice acupuncture in their associated hospitals?

>

> The British Acupuncture Council replied today

> stating:

>

>

> The short answer to that question is yes, but the

> background is

> rather more complex

>

> The Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group decided

> early in its

> discussions that it would be impossible to aim for

> protection of

> function as well as protection of title - dentists,

> for example, have

> both; no-one can even practice dentistry in any form

> unless they are

> properly qualified and regsitered. Too many people

> use acupuncture in

> valid and important ways (drug detox, etc whose

> practice no

> legislator would want to outlaw) for protection of

> function to be

> sustainable. Protection of title is another matter

> and this is what

> is being discussed for acupuncturists.

>

> With protection of title, the title 'acupuncturist'

> will only be

> able to be used by practitioners who have achieved

> high educational

> standards, whether these be traditional

> acupuncturists, medical

> acupuncturists or physiotherapists. Anyone else who

> uses acupuncture

> will be subject to the rules of the regulating body

> under which they

> fall, but will not be able to call themselves

> acupuncturists. The

> standards which they will have to attain will be

> monitored by the

> regulatory body in conjunction with the new

> Acupuncture Council.

>

> The experience of the osteopaths has been that the

> advent of

> statutory regulation has meant that people have more

> often than not

> chosen to go to a registered professional than

> someone who uses it as

> an adjunctive technique.

>

> Many BAcC practitioners feel uncomfortable with the

> fact that in the

> short term there will be many people offering

> acupuncture as an

> adjunct whose standards fall short of a professional

> acupuncturist,

> but the BAcC's preferred strategy is to emphasise

> its members

> strengths rather than attack other people's

> weaknesses, especially

> since many BAcC members aspire to working alongside

> orthodox health

> professionals in the NHS.

>

> Atti: i fear the worst for TCM in the UK. As you may

> know, the vast

> majority of healthcare is available free on the

> National Health

> Service (NHS). If doctors and nurses are allowed to

> continue giving

> acupuncture to patients after attending a weekend

> course, this could

> signal the dead nail for TCM in the UK. Why go and

> see a

> acupuncturist in your local high street when you can

> get it for free

> on the NHS. Even now, hospital pain clinics are

> administered

> by 'real' qualified acupuncturist but don't get

> paid!

>

> These are worrying times.

>

> Attilio

>

>

 

=====

Anand Bapat

Pain Management Specialist

Sports Injury Specialist

Blacktown, Parramatta, Punchbowl, & Hammondville

0402 472 897

 

 

 

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In a message dated 8/13/2003 3:52:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time, acubapat writes:

 

looking at acupuncture as apreventive modality &

getting pts cured of their illness. using all the

ingredients of acup.

needles, moxa, breathing, flavours, exercises, sleep,

lifestyle changes, etc to achieve results & maintain

pt free from disease with this lifestyle.

anand

 

 

Well, that is a problem in our society. Many people are not going to use all the ingredients of acupuncture.

Many people don't even have the option to get the exercise and sleep they require, nor do they understand what good food is, or necessarily want to make wise food choices.

How can all the ingredients of acupuncture be used for all our patients? They can't. That is why, including technology from our society for our society becomes important.

 

Chris

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looking at acupuncture as apreventive modality &

getting pts cured of their illness. using all the

ingredients of acup.

needles, moxa, breathing, flavours, exercises, sleep,

lifestyle changes, etc to achieve results & maintain

pt free from disease with this lifestyle.

anand

 

 

--- Alon Marcus <alonmarcus wrote: >

ACUPUNCTURE AS IT SHOULD BE

> PRACTISED.

> >>>And how is that

> Alon

 

=====

Anand Bapat

Pain Management Specialist

Sports Injury Specialist

Blacktown, Parramatta, Punchbowl, & Hammondville

0402 472 897

 

 

 

 

______________________

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