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Hi all,

 

I recently learnt that all acupuncture students are required to perform at

least three autopsies. This is to further advance their point location. Of

course, their not looking for the actual point, but rather the body's

geography. Understanding the skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc systems is

paramount to correct point location. I have been studying point location

myself and found that certain body points, or rather landmarks, greatly help

finding the point. If I had the chance to examine a corpse and acupuncture

it, then I can also further develop my understanding of not only location,

but depth and possible adverse effects, i.e. puncturing the Zangfu.

 

However, most if not all acupuncture schools in the West, do not have the

facilities to allow students to perform autopsies and practice their

acupuncture location and needle insertion. I believe that in China, students

can actually buy a corpse for as little as 800 yuan, £55. I would recommend

that acupuncture schools and colleges adopt autopsy examinations if at all

possible.

 

Kind regards

 

Attilio

 

 

 

 

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At a school I attended, for Anatomy/Physiology there was an optional of

human autopsy and dissection. I have dressed game and slaughtered and prepared

for consumption a small amount of creatures for a farmer to learn anout the

inside of the body, what the glands and organs look like, the networks of

connective tissue, etc,etc.

and have had private training in minor surgical technique and procedure.

However, I don't think this will make anybody a better acupuncturist

automatically, at all, or you would be able to say all surgeons make better

acupuncturists. And that just isn't so. I think this should remain an elective,

not a requirement.

 

Attilio D'Alberto <attiliodalberto wrote:

Hi all,

 

I recently learnt that all acupuncture students are required to perform at

least three autopsies. This is to further advance their point location. Of

course, their not looking for the actual point, but rather the body's

geography. Understanding the skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc systems is

paramount to correct point location. I have been studying point location

myself and found that certain body points, or rather landmarks, greatly help

finding the point. If I had the chance to examine a corpse and acupuncture

it, then I can also further develop my understanding of not only location,

but depth and possible adverse effects, i.e. puncturing the Zangfu.

 

However, most if not all acupuncture schools in the West, do not have the

facilities to allow students to perform autopsies and practice their

acupuncture location and needle insertion. I believe that in China, students

can actually buy a corpse for as little as 800 yuan, £55. I would recommend

that acupuncture schools and colleges adopt autopsy examinations if at all

possible.

 

Kind regards

 

Attilio

 

 

 

 

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Hi Attilio,

 

I've been teaching human dissection now since 1986 and have fully dissected

close to 300 human cadavers. It makes acupuncture a different experience if you

have worked on each tissue and understand its resilience. It also gives you

confidence that you are not doing bodily harm in most locations ... or it could

give you pause, as well, in a few locations. I can't think of too many points

away from the thorax where I'd be afraid to needle. If people learned really

good surface anatomy as might be taught in tui na, that in itself would

certainly help their acupuncture technique. Robert Hayden's discussion of

palpating to find " live points " was one of my favorite posts of recent times.

Unlike other local colleges, my anatomy/physiology course at Merritt College in

Oakland, CA uses human cadavers.

 

Respectfully,

Emmanuel Segmen

 

 

Hi all,

 

I recently learnt that all acupuncture students are required to perform at

least three autopsies. This is to further advance their point location. Of

course, their not looking for the actual point, but rather the body's

geography. Understanding the skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc systems is

paramount to correct point location. I have been studying point location

myself and found that certain body points, or rather landmarks, greatly help

finding the point. If I had the chance to examine a corpse and acupuncture

it, then I can also further develop my understanding of not only location,

but depth and possible adverse effects, i.e. puncturing the Zangfu.

 

However, most if not all acupuncture schools in the West, do not have the

facilities to allow students to perform autopsies and practice their

acupuncture location and needle insertion. I believe that in China, students

can actually buy a corpse for as little as 800 yuan, £55. I would recommend

that acupuncture schools and colleges adopt autopsy examinations if at all

possible.

 

Kind regards

 

Attilio

 

 

 

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The school I went to had a joint program with a medical school to

spend one day a semester with cadavers that were already dissected. I

don't know if it actually helped my point location, but I thought it

was very helpful to be able to see where needles went, and be able to

play around freely. Gee, if you needle SJ17 up it really does go into

the ear canal. Some areas of the body you really have to take to

heart the warnings in the texts, and other areas are not as dangerous

as you're led to believe. More knowledge, more confidence, less risk.

 

--brian

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Hi all

 

Although I've never had the honor of dissecting a cadaver, I've

always thought it would be important--several even (short, tall,

infant, adult, fat, thin). We were supposed to have been able to

observe this during the Massage School training I had years ago but

the class got cancelled at the local University and we missed our

chance. I've always regretted this and thought that getting deeper

than the surface would be most informative; especially since getting

into acupuncture. While I don't think it is " absolutely essential " I

do think it would be most helpful. Our forefathers have left us with

standards as to needling depth and cautions about piercing body

structures which we are required to take at face value and always

remember from a rote learning perspective. The " seeing and touching "

of the interior would, for me, a kinesthetic learner, really be

helpful and most illuminating I think.

 

Thanks, Shanna

 

Chinese Medicine , " Emmanuel

Segmen " <susegmen@i...> wrote:

> Hi Attilio,

>

> I've been teaching human dissection now since 1986 and have fully

dissected close to 300 human cadavers. It makes acupuncture a

different experience if you have worked on each tissue and

understand its resilience. It also gives you confidence that you

are not doing bodily harm in most locations ... or it could give you

pause, as well, in a few locations. I can't think of too many

points away from the thorax where I'd be afraid to needle. If

people learned really good surface anatomy as might be taught in tui

na, that in itself would certainly help their acupuncture

technique. Robert Hayden's discussion of palpating to find " live

points " was one of my favorite posts of recent times. Unlike other

local colleges, my anatomy/physiology course at Merritt College in

Oakland, CA uses human cadavers.

>

> Respectfully,

> Emmanuel Segmen

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> I recently learnt that all acupuncture students are required to

perform at

> least three autopsies. This is to further advance their point

location. Of

> course, their not looking for the actual point, but rather the

body's

> geography. Understanding the skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc

systems is

> paramount to correct point location. I have been studying point

location

> myself and found that certain body points, or rather landmarks,

greatly help

> finding the point. If I had the chance to examine a corpse and

acupuncture

> it, then I can also further develop my understanding of not only

location,

> but depth and possible adverse effects, i.e. puncturing the

Zangfu.

>

> However, most if not all acupuncture schools in the West, do not

have the

> facilities to allow students to perform autopsies and practice

their

> acupuncture location and needle insertion. I believe that in

China, students

> can actually buy a corpse for as little as 800 yuan, £55. I

would recommend

> that acupuncture schools and colleges adopt autopsy examinations

if at all

> possible.

>

> Kind regards

>

> Attilio

>

>

>

>

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Hello Emmanuel,

 

I would like to teach second year acupuncture students physiology and

pathology of the internal western medical body visualy. Cadavers are

in short supply so would like to project a virtual body onto the white

board. Could you recommend any good software packages and/or useful

University sites that may give me access to such visual information

and potential downloads.

 

I hope to present physiology in the mornings and follow through with

pathology relevant to the system being taught in the afternoon.

 

Any suggestions from your impressive teaching experience very welcome.

 

regards,

jsu

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At the school I attend, Oriental Medicine/Acupuncture students are

required to spend two trimesters in a Western anatomy/physiology

course that includes human prosection. As we are housed with a

chiropractic program in our university, we have the benefit of

observing and working with the cadavers that the chiro students

dissect. It is an incredibly worthwhile experience! It should

definitely be required of all TCM students here in the states!

 

Chinese Medicine , " Attilio

D'Alberto " <attiliodalberto> wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> I recently learnt that all acupuncture students are required to

perform at

> least three autopsies. This is to further advance their point

location. Of

> course, their not looking for the actual point, but rather the

body's

> geography. Understanding the skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc

systems is

> paramount to correct point location. I have been studying point

location

> myself and found that certain body points, or rather landmarks,

greatly help

> finding the point. If I had the chance to examine a corpse and

acupuncture

> it, then I can also further develop my understanding of not only

location,

> but depth and possible adverse effects, i.e. puncturing the Zangfu.

>

> However, most if not all acupuncture schools in the West, do not

have the

> facilities to allow students to perform autopsies and practice their

> acupuncture location and needle insertion. I believe that in China,

students

> can actually buy a corpse for as little as 800 yuan, £55. I would

recommend

> that acupuncture schools and colleges adopt autopsy examinations if

at all

> possible.

>

> Kind regards

>

> Attilio

>

>

>

>

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Hi JSU (how shall I address you?),

 

Regarding software and other technologies with regard to teaching

anatomy/physiology, I have to share with you that I'm anti-technological ... or

more precisely non-technological (as I actually love playing with technologies

and writing software games/editors.) I like using cadavers with as much blunt

(not sharp) dissection as possible ... no scalpels except for entering the skin.

I use dissection scissors mostly backwards to open spaces and only rarely to

transect structures. I use fairly cheap microscopes and human histology slides.

I do have a camera hook up to a TV set so I can cruise around on a slide at

different powers and show my students things. I also use expensive anatomy

models, skeletal models and so on. When asked by my administration how I intend

to make use of the Internet and computer technology, I laughingly say I promise

not to distract my students with such things. Fortunately my college dean has

multiple PhDs including engineering and physical oceanography, and he couldn't

agree more with my perspective. He's grateful that someone will present the

real anatomy/physiology and not cause students to sit in front of computers.

 

While I'm ranting, I should probably also note that Chinese medicine is always a

subtext of my teaching. So physiological reasoning from embryology and basic

homeostasis on out to endocrinology/immunology/acids-bases-fluids-electrolytes

really gets a work out. In my opinion CM pushes the limits of Western

scientific thought. I also have to share with you that I fall out of my seat

laughing when someone brings up the idea of using Western scientific studies to

prove/disprove the fundamental ideas of CM. I view it as a great idea to

evaluate CM in order to further the development of Western science.

 

So I can't really help you with software or Internet sites. However, I do honor

the notion that you might share my love of integrating ideas from CM and

anatomy/embryology/physiology. If you want to talk about that, you'll have my

rapt attention. Today I gave a lecture on why CM discusses Kidney in the same

breath as sexual function. Embryologically by 5 to 6 weeks of gestation the

developing fetus has a more or less single tissue which is about to

differentiate into gonad, adrenal cortex and kidney with the gonads descending

down mesonephric or paramesonephric ducts ... right through the tissues of the

developing kidney ... leaving behind a virtual gonad in the tissues of the

adrenal cortex (all steroid hormone producing tissues). Any sort of insightful

integration of CM/Western science is " game on " for me. I'm sensing that your

brain might have such insights that you might be willing to discuss.

 

Respectfully,

Emmanuel Segmen

 

 

Hello Emmanuel,

 

I would like to teach second year acupuncture students physiology and

pathology of the internal western medical body visualy. Cadavers are in short

supply so would like to project a virtual body onto the white board. Could you

recommend any good software packages and/or useful University sites that may

give me access to such visual information and potential downloads.

 

I hope to present physiology in the mornings and follow through with pathology

relevant to the system being taught in the afternoon.

 

Any suggestions from your impressive teaching experience very welcome.

 

regards,

jsu

 

 

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Emmanuel,

Put together the thread that Chris and I have been developing on how

the six channel and four aspect 'immunological maps' create a framwork

for infectious diseases, and your eloquent and beautiful discussion on

embryology and Chinese medicine, and we see just how Chinese medicine

and biomedicine can enrich each other without cheapening the framework

of the medicine (CM) we know and love.

 

 

On Jul 27, 2004, at 2:56 PM, Emmanuel Segmen wrote:

 

> However, I do honor the notion that you might share my love of

> integrating ideas from CM and anatomy/embryology/physiology. If you

> want to talk about that, you'll have my rapt attention. Today I gave

> a lecture on why CM discusses Kidney in the same breath as sexual

> function. Embryologically by 5 to 6 weeks of gestation the developing

> fetus has a more or less single tissue which is about to differentiate

> into gonad, adrenal cortex and kidney with the gonads descending down

> mesonephric or paramesonephric ducts ... right through the tissues of

> the developing kidney ... leaving behind a virtual gonad in the

> tissues of the adrenal cortex (all steroid hormone producing tissues).

> Any sort of insightful integration of CM/Western science is " game on "

> for me. I'm sensing that your brain might have such insights that you

> might be willing to discuss.

>

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Emmanuel,

 

Thank you for your rich reply. I agree whole heartedly with you. Yes

the evaluation of CM can surely aid the development of WM, your

embryological insights embody this in its very essence.

My present situation is that of a western trained pharmacologist who

has evolved through the learning and practice of CM. The articulation

of integrating complemtary threads of these beautiful systems with

complementing metaphors is an education I wish to develop and teach.

I am re-writing the teaching materials for the physiology and

pathology unit of an acupuncture college and look foreward to

discovering, assimilating and articulating such threads. The students

have completed their first year including a thorough hands on surface

anatomy and point location assessment. This coming September I will

start teaching the western medical component of the ccourse and enter

the traditionally forbidden domain of the internal body. This will be

enlivened with a virtual environment as that is all I have available

to me. The students will not be in front of computers rather emersed

in animated visual projection of recorded film, such as that from

your camera, and computer generated models of the functioning of

organs and body systems.

 

I look foreward to following and developing these discusions with you

as I develop my teaching style and material. Please allow me time to

ponder these ideas, I sence you have been working from a similar

perspective for some time.

 

Regards,

 

jsu.

 

p.s. you can address me as jsu or jay. My first name's jason second

stephen, both on list already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

f Chinese Medicine , " Emmanuel

Segmen " <susegmen@i...> wrote:

> Hi JSU (how shall I address you?),

>

> Regarding software and other technologies with regard to teaching

anatomy/physiology, I have to share with you that I'm anti-

technological ... or more precisely non-technological (as I actually

love playing with technologies and writing software games/editors.)

I like using cadavers with as much blunt (not sharp) dissection as

possible ... no scalpels except for entering the skin. I use

dissection scissors mostly backwards to open spaces and only rarely

to transect structures. I use fairly cheap microscopes and human

histology slides. I do have a camera hook up to a TV set so I can

cruise around on a slide at different powers and show my students

things. I also use expensive anatomy models, skeletal models and so

on. When asked by my administration how I intend to make use of the

Internet and computer technology, I laughingly say I promise not to

distract my students with such things. Fortunately my college dean

has multiple PhDs including engineering and physical oceanography,

and he couldn't agree more with my perspective. He's grateful that

someone will present the real anatomy/physiology and not cause

students to sit in front of computers.

>

> While I'm ranting, I should probably also note that Chinese

medicine is always a subtext of my teaching. So physiological

reasoning from embryology and basic homeostasis on out to

endocrinology/immunology/acids-bases-fluids-electrolytes really gets

a work out. In my opinion CM pushes the limits of Western scientific

thought. I also have to share with you that I fall out of my seat

laughing when someone brings up the idea of using Western scientific

studies to prove/disprove the fundamental ideas of CM. I view it as

a great idea to evaluate CM in order to further the development of

Western science.

>

> So I can't really help you with software or Internet sites.

However, I do honor the notion that you might share my love of

integrating ideas from CM and anatomy/embryology/physiology. If you

want to talk about that, you'll have my rapt attention. Today I gave

a lecture on why CM discusses Kidney in the same breath as sexual

function. Embryologically by 5 to 6 weeks of gestation the developing

fetus has a more or less single tissue which is about to

differentiate into gonad, adrenal cortex and kidney with the gonads

descending down mesonephric or paramesonephric ducts ... right

through the tissues of the developing kidney ... leaving behind a

virtual gonad in the tissues of the adrenal cortex (all steroid

hormone producing tissues). Any sort of insightful integration of

CM/Western science is " game on " for me. I'm sensing that your brain

might have such insights that you might be willing to discuss.

>

> Respectfully,

> Emmanuel Segmen

>

>

> Hello Emmanuel,

>

> I would like to teach second year acupuncture students physiology

and pathology of the internal western medical body visualy. Cadavers

are in short supply so would like to project a virtual body onto the

white board. Could you recommend any good software packages and/or

useful University sites that may give me access to such visual

information and potential downloads.

>

> I hope to present physiology in the mornings and follow through

with pathology relevant to the system being taught in the afternoon.

>

> Any suggestions from your impressive teaching experience very

welcome.

>

> regards,

> jsu

>

>

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I too belive it is good to have seen the insides of living things, more

knowlegde is always better. As you look in the opened body, can you see the

acupuncture points? No, you cannot. The house is dark, the master has fled.

Don't kid yourself. We see only where they probably were. (Parathyroid glands,

hmm, those little things, they look so like not-a-big-deal.) But to require

acupuncture students to be cutting away at dead people seems more of a waste of

time and money compared to clinic time, classics study, or several other

profession related areas. What's next, total hip replacement? Most of my

teachers were surgeons too, but I feel dissection should be an elective. We

have to resist the urge and stop burdening prospective students with

nonessentials. Time might be better spent visualizing path of qi, its overflow

and overlaps, various needle technique and so on. The eagerness to dig around

in the spirit shell is a little shocking, but understandable. It is funny how

quickly the topic of additional requirements rises.

 

 

 

 

Take Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone.

 

 

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The attempt to bring in cadavers is more to make TCM look like WM then

anything

else, just as the study of anatomy and physiology, and many course which are

taught in med school. Med school is 4 years, TCM is 4 years and so on.

 

China would be the first place to do it because China is taken as the

fountainhead of TCM, and china is hell bent on exploiting it. And cadavers

are aplenty in China.

 

What is required of surface anatomy is easily found in pictographic books on

anatomy, or by referring to a refernce level book on acupuncture such the

Manual of Acupuncture by Deadman et al.

 

The classic manistay, the Essentials, gives more than enough guidance in

decription of points, and warns of majory arteries, and veins and vulnerab;e

structure underneath critical points.

 

Great healers through centuries from 200 AD down worked with points

without having recourse to cadavers.

 

Acupuncture is an energetic art, not a structural science.

 

And it is a matter of time before some enterprising school of TCM will

invoke cadavers.

 

Dr. Holmes Keikobad

MB BS DPH Ret. DIP AC NCCAOM LIC AC CO & AZ

www.acu-free.com - 15 CEUS by video.

NCCAOM reviewed. Approved in CA & most states.

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Chinese Medicine , " homi kaikobad "

<aryaone@e...> wrote:

> The attempt to bring in cadavers is more to make TCM look like WM then

> anything

> else, just as the study of anatomy and physiology, and many course

which are

> taught in med school. Med school is 4 years, TCM is 4 years and so on.

>

> China would be the first place to do it because China is taken as the

> fountainhead of TCM, and china is hell bent on exploiting it. And

cadavers

> are aplenty in China.

>

> What is required of surface anatomy is easily found in pictographic

books on

> anatomy, or by referring to a refernce level book on acupuncture

such the

> Manual of Acupuncture by Deadman et al.

>

> The classic manistay, the Essentials, gives more than enough guidance in

> decription of points, and warns of majory arteries, and veins and

vulnerab;e

> structure underneath critical points.

>

> Great healers through centuries from 200 AD down worked with points

> without having recourse to cadavers.

 

This is nonsense. The more information one has the better healer one

can be. I hope this trend of not needing books nor cadavers etc is

not contagious. It is a great learning tool, period. Maybe if people

knew their anatomy a little better there wouldn't be as many

pnemothoraxs. For one that dislikes books so much I find it odd to

say the deadman is enough, that is IMO silly.

 

-

 

 

 

>

> Acupuncture is an energetic art, not a structural science.

>

> And it is a matter of time before some enterprising school of TCM will

> invoke cadavers.

>

> Dr. Holmes Keikobad

> MB BS DPH Ret. DIP AC NCCAOM LIC AC CO & AZ

> www.acu-free.com - 15 CEUS by video.

> NCCAOM reviewed. Approved in CA & most states.

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Jason, are there many cases of pneumothorax from acupuncture? Its not

common at all in the UK, I don't believe there has been a case for years.

The most significant case I heard of was a Doctor causing a pneumothorax and

he would have had access to cadavers in his training.

There are all sorts of things which it would be good to include in

acupuncture training, but it is expensive enough here in the UK without the

added cost of cadavers. If there aren't any serious adverse events (which

there are not) then why add the extra expense for every student?

Susie

 

JAson said: Maybe if people knew their anatomy a little better there

wouldn't be as many

pnemothoraxs.

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Chinese Medicine , " susie parkinson "

<susie@p...> wrote:

> Jason, are there many cases of pneumothorax from acupuncture? Its not

> common at all in the UK, I don't believe there has been a case for

years.

> The most significant case I heard of was a Doctor causing a

pneumothorax and

> he would have had access to cadavers in his training.

> There are all sorts of things which it would be good to include in

> acupuncture training, but it is expensive enough here in the UK

without the

> added cost of cadavers. If there aren't any serious adverse events

(which

> there are not) then why add the extra expense for every student?

> Susie

>

 

No that is from my understanding wrong. There were, according to my

colleague who is affiliated with the state board, 4 neumothorax's in

Colorado alone last year! I was not debating anything about cost,

which it is not that much if you hit up the local med schools, but

debating that all one needs to know is deadman. And to discount

valuable information for price reasons is one thing, but to say that

cadavers are not important because we are an energy medicine is just

silly (IMO)... I found such labs irreplaceable.

 

-

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Jason

That is interesting, but why didn't they report them? Also who had done the

acupuncture? A great deal of acupuncture is performed by physios and GPs.

I am also interested to know how they diagnosed a not serious presentation

because I presume you mean that there were few signs & symptoms. I was

taught that a fine acupuncture needle was highly unlikely to cause a

pneumothorax and a couple of doctors have also told me that an acupuncture

needle is too fine to cause such a problem.

There were two large studies published in 2001/2002 which showed the

incidence of serious adverse effects of acupuncture to be very low. What you

and the other Jason are talking about appears to be hearsay or dare I say it

MSUing!

Regards

Susie

 

 

" susie parkinson "

wrote:

> Jason, are there many cases of pneumothorax from acupuncture? Its not

> common at all in the UK, I don't believe there has been a case for

years.

> The most significant case I heard of was a Doctor causing a

pneumothorax and

> he would have had access to cadavers in his training.

 

maybe cases don't always get recorded in this country (UK). A GP friend of

mine saw a patient with pneumothorax from acupuncture 2 weeks ago and knew

of another GP friend who had also seen one recently! they were not serious

presentations, but pneumothorax nevertheless.

jason davies

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Chinese Medicine , " susie parkinson "

<susie@p...> wrote:

>

> Jason

> That is interesting, but why didn't they report them? Also who had

done the

> acupuncture? A great deal of acupuncture is performed by physios

and GPs.

 

I don't think that is the point... and I don't know why they didn't

report them and actually I don't know who 'they' is?... can you

clarify your point please...

 

 

> I am also interested to know how they diagnosed a not serious

presentation

> because I presume you mean that there were few signs & symptoms. I was

> taught that a fine acupuncture needle was highly unlikely to cause a

> pneumothorax and a couple of doctors have also told me that an

acupuncture

> needle is too fine to cause such a problem.

 

That is not true, acupuncture needles clearly can cause pneumothoraxs

- this is well documented...

 

But your first statment is talking about GP's (causing the problems)

and then you say it is impossible to cause such a problem (I am

unclear)... And why is pneumothorax not serious... it can be very

serious...

 

> There were two large studies published in 2001/2002 which showed the

> incidence of serious adverse effects of acupuncture to be very low.

What you

> and the other Jason are talking about appears to be hearsay or dare

I say it

> MSUing!

 

It is not MSUing, I have quoted my sources in previous posts... Are

you saying these (your) studies say that pneumothoraxes do not occur

with acupuncture, your statement seems vague… can you give us the

citation please.. thanx...

 

-

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No, it is not MSU.

 

In the last two months, two incidences of pneumothorax were reported to

me by other practitioners. It does happen. I've heard of several

cases over the course of 23 years of practice. Let's not pull the wool

over our eyes.

 

 

 

On Jul 31, 2004, at 11:03 AM, susie parkinson wrote:

 

> Jason

> That is interesting, but why didn't they report them? Also who had

> done the

> acupuncture? A great deal of acupuncture is performed by physios and

> GPs.

> I am also interested to know how they diagnosed a not serious

> presentation

> because I presume you mean that there were few signs & symptoms. I was

> taught that a fine acupuncture needle was highly unlikely to cause a

> pneumothorax and a couple of doctors have also told me that an

> acupuncture

> needle is too fine to cause such a problem.

> There were two large studies published in 2001/2002 which showed the

> incidence of serious adverse effects of acupuncture to be very low.

> What you

> and the other Jason are talking about appears to be hearsay or dare I

> say it

> MSUing!

> Regards

> Susie

 

Chair, Department of Herbal Medicine

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

San Diego, Ca. 92122

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Dear Jason Balack

You are responding to an email I sent in response to ANOTHER Jason, so of

course you don't understand. I don't think I need to clarify my point, you

can understand it if you look at the post you responded to, which had the

previous posts underneath.

 

And yes, you are MSUing by your own criteria because you did not quote your

sources for pneumothorax when you referred to 4 cases in Colorado - where is

that documented?

 

Pneumothorax cases in China are not really relevant. There are lots of

things that go in China that wouldn't be allowed here in the UK and

presumable not in the US, for example non sterile needles. As Shanna said

the needles used in China are much thicker than in the West and therefore

much more likely to cause a pneumothorax. I'm not saying that it isn't

possible to have a pneumothorax from acupuncture - all things are possible,

but that it doesn't happen very often. The sources I was referring to for

acupuncture safety in the UK are:

1)Acupunct Med. 2001 Dec;19(2):93-102. MacPherson H, Thomas K, Walters S,

Fitter M.

" A prospective survey of adverse events and treatment reactions following

34,000 consultations with professional acupuncturists. "

2) Adrian White, Simon Hayhoe, Anna Hart, and Edzard Ernst. BMJ, Sep 2001;

323: 485 - 486.

" Adverse events following acupuncture: prospective survey of 32 000

consultations with doctors and physiotherapists "

 

I agree wholeheartedly that we have to ensure that acupuncture is as safe as

possible, but some practitioners will make mistakes however much training

they have had - we are human. The evidence points to the fact that

acupuncture is much safer than other forms of conventional medicine. My

original point was that it would be nice to have access to cadavers when

training, but its not an ideal world and we can't have everything. The very

few serious adverse events documented suggest that in the UK at least, we

are managing to provide a professional and safe service. Maybe the training

we have here is very different from that in the US. Ours is all overseen by

the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board who try to ensure a consistent

academic and practical standard whilst still allowing for the diverse

schools of acupuncture.

 

Regards

Susie Parkinson

 

 

Message: 19

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 02:09:24 -0000

" " <

Re: Autopsies and Acupuncture

 

Chinese Medicine , " susie parkinson "

<susie@p...> wrote:

>

> Jason

> That is interesting, but why didn't they report them? Also who had

done the

> acupuncture? A great deal of acupuncture is performed by physios

and GPs.

 

I don't think that is the point... and I don't know why they didn't

report them and actually I don't know who 'they' is?... can you

clarify your point please...

 

 

> I am also interested to know how they diagnosed a not serious

presentation

> because I presume you mean that there were few signs & symptoms. I was

> taught that a fine acupuncture needle was highly unlikely to cause a

> pneumothorax and a couple of doctors have also told me that an

acupuncture

> needle is too fine to cause such a problem.

 

That is not true, acupuncture needles clearly can cause pneumothoraxs

- this is well documented...

 

But your first statment is talking about GP's (causing the problems)

and then you say it is impossible to cause such a problem (I am

unclear)... And why is pneumothorax not serious... it can be very

serious...

 

> There were two large studies published in 2001/2002 which showed the

> incidence of serious adverse effects of acupuncture to be very low.

What you

> and the other Jason are talking about appears to be hearsay or dare

I say it

> MSUing!

 

It is not MSUing, I have quoted my sources in previous posts... Are

you saying these (your) studies say that pneumothoraxes do not occur

with acupuncture, your statement seems vague… can you give us the

citation please.. thanx...

 

-

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Chinese Medicine , " susie parkinson "

<susie@p...> wrote:

> Dear Jason Balack

> You are responding to an email I sent in response to ANOTHER Jason,

so of

> course you don't understand. I don't think I need to clarify my

point, you

> can understand it if you look at the post you responded to, which

had the

> previous posts underneath.

 

I guess that is why is didn't make sense, my mistake, all these posts

and 2 jason's makes it hard :)

 

>

> And yes, you are MSUing by your own criteria because you did not

quote your

> sources for pneumothorax when you referred to 4 cases in Colorado -

where is

> that documented?

 

No I mentioned who said it, I did not make it up. They might of, but

my source was clear. Personal conversations are valid source of

information, you just have to note it like I did. I do not know where

it is documented, but you could call the Colorado board if you like.

 

 

>

> Pneumothorax cases in China are not really relevant. There are lots of

> things that go in China that wouldn't be allowed here in the UK and

> presumable not in the US, for example non sterile needles. As

Shanna said

> the needles used in China are much thicker than in the West and

therefore

> much more likely to cause a pneumothorax. I'm not saying that it isn't

> possible to have a pneumothorax from acupuncture - all things are

possible,

> but that it doesn't happen very often.

 

Well I think mine and Z'ev's previous posts have addressed all the

above. Chinese needles are used in the states and vigorous needling

is here, I have definitely seen it.

 

-

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Hi Susie!

 

Acronyms are confusing. Several posts have contained the term " MSUing " .

What does this mean?

 

Regards,

 

Pete

 

At 01:56 PM 8/1/04 +0100, you wrote:<snip>

>And yes, you are MSUing

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A long line of spectacular healers from Tchi Po down did not have the need

to

work with cadavers.

 

Dr. Holmes Keikobad

MB BS DPH Ret. DIP AC NCCAOM LIC AC CO & AZ

www.acu-free.com - 15 CEUS by video.

NCCAOM reviewed. Approved in CA & most states.

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