The patient in this case presented with chronic shoulder pain and was treated with Gua Sha. While a reduction of shoulder pain was the primary objective, the patient reported an unexpected positive outcome which was an improvement of his restless leg syndrome (RLS). The patient received Gua Sha with no other concurrent therapy. To assess pain, range of movement tests were performed before and after each treatment. Gua Sha was applied in unidirectional linear strokes with a steralised porcelain Asian soup spoon, bilaterally to the spine, over the scapulae and right posterior shoulder. Stroking was repeated in lines of 10-15cm until petechiae was fully expressed before moving onto the next area. The same treatment was given each time for a total of 4 treatments. Pre and post treatment visual analogue scales show an immediate reduction in shoulder pain. Additionally the patient noted a marked reduction in RLS which led to better quality sleep. The literature review reveals that Gua Sha has been shown to increase blood flow, tissue temperature and the expression of heme oxygense-1 (HO-1) which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative actions. Not only has HO-1 been shown to remain elevated for at least 120 hours post treatment, the by-products of the catabolism of free heme molecules are carbon monoxide, bilirubin and iron. Carbon monoxide is a vasodilator and iron has been used in the treatment of RLS for decades. In this case, Gua Sha is shown to give immediate reduction in shoulder pain and we suggest that Gua Sha may have applications beyond musculoskeletal cases, including circulatory conditions such as RLS.
Chinese medicine is now registered throughout Australia, enhancing the profession by regulating standards of practice, it also presents new legislative and compliance requirements for which many Chinese medicine practitioners are under-prepared. To date, Chinese medicine educational institutions and professional associations have placed insufficient emphasis on ethics in undergraduate training and professional development. Much of what passes as ethical training in Chinese medicine is the rote learning of rules, rather than a critical understanding of the principles behind the rules. There is now a pressing requirement to upskill the profession so that members can ethically reason, and thus safely and effectively apply the rules, having regard to the legislative and policy context and taking into account the best interests of the patient, the profession, the practitioner and any other people affected by the decision.
Xerostomia is a significant problem for many cancer patients. It causes physical, functional and psychological symptoms that often seriously impact on a patient's quality of life. There is limited evidence to support the use of any therapy for xerostomia with some pharmacological agents linked to side effects that further reduce quality of life. There is a small but growing body of research to support the use of acupuncture for patients with xerostomia. The therapy is considered to be at low risk of causing serious adverse reactions. Acupuncture has been linked to improving saliva production and associated quality of life. Future research directions should focus on larger studies and homogenous protocols, and on improving communication between oncologists and patients regarding acupuncture as an evidence based treatment option for xerostomia.
Background: Moxibustion is a widely used adjunct therapy within Chinese medicine in many Asian countries, as well as Australia. A variety of diseases are treated with moxibustion as well as a range of application methods used, ranging from moxa roll to warm needle. Few studies have looked at the types of diseases and methods used when administering moxibustion. Method: The clinic database at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Chinese medicine clinic was mined for the type of disease using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) as well as the most commonly used application methods when moxibustion was applied within a treatment. The period assessed was from January 1998 to December 2014. Results: The six most common disease areas where moxibustion had been administered were in the categories of neurological, digestive, respiratory, musculoskeletal, psychological and general diseases. In total 104,676 treatments had been recorded in the database across these six disease areas with moxibustion being used in 9.3% (n=9,733) of all the recorded treatments in these six disease areas. In addition, the moxa roll was most commonly used (6%) followed by direct moxa (1.3%), moxa box (1.2%) and warm needle (0.8%). Conclusion: More research is needed into the efficacy, safety and underlying mechanism of moxibustion therapy. This will lead to a better understanding of moxibustion and familiarisation by the public of its role in treating a variety of diseases.
Review(s) of: Integrative TCM guide - pathology: Interpreting blood tests into a Chinese medicine framework, by Clare Pyers (2016).
Background: Over time, Chinese medicine spread throughout Asia and developed into distinguishable styles of acupuncture in China, Japan, Korea and possibly Taiwan. Aims: This study sought to classify, clarify and describe acupuncture styles in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Methods: A systematic search was conducted using: University of New England e-search resources, CINAHL (1998 to January 2015), ProQuest (1980 to January 2015), PubMed (1980 to January 2015) and Google Scholar (1980 to January 2015). Data was collated and coded into philosophical concepts, diagnostic methods and treatment principles. Patterns of relationships between styles were examined. Results: Twenty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria. Features of Chinese acupuncture include pattern identification and syndrome differentiation as well as the four diagnoses. The solicitation of u0027De-qiu0027 during needle stimulation is typical. Although encompassed in Chinese acupuncture as well, emphasis in Japanese acupuncture is placed on the theory of five phases, meridians and collaterals, palpation and relatively light needle stimulation. Korean acupuncture is based on a constitutional model and uses systematic treatments with substance injection into body loci and microsystem acupuncture. Taiwanese acupuncture was described as analogous to Chinese acupuncture. Conclusion: There is a variable degree of consistency and reliability in the literature addressing acupuncture styles internationally. There appears to be a common pool of philosophical concepts, Chinese in origin, which are fundamental across all styles and have influenced the respective diagnostic methods and treatment principles in varying degrees. Japanese and Korean acupuncture styles have evolved from this, whereas details of a Taiwanese acupuncture style is limited and is assumed to be Chinese.
Acupuncture is commonly presented in the literature as a safe and low risk therapy. However without a comprehensive reporting scheme for accidents and adverse events there are concerns about relying on self-reporting mechanisms. Key issues identified within reporting are the potential for significant under reporting and the high rate of adverse events due to professional negligence. Additionally, a proportion of reporting is not traditional acupuncture, often medical acupuncture or dry needling, and is not performed by correctly trained professionals with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended 500 hours of clinical training specific to acupuncture. This article argues that acupuncture is only safe in the hands of appropriately trained professionals, and these professionals must ensure high standards of practice and continual training and review. Further points of discussion are the significant concerns with the portrayal of 'acupuncture' and 'acupuncturist' in the literature. To emphasise this argument a snapshot on reporting over a five year timeframe within New Zealand is presented.
Falls are a frequent complication of Parkinson's Disease (PD). There are four major aspects of PD that can contribute to an increased risk of falls.
In this case single point acupuncture of Wind Pond (Feng Chi, GB20) was used to treat chronic unilateral lower back pain characterised by 20mm leg length discrepancy in a female age 52 years.
The use of acupuncture and complementary, alternative medicine (CAM) among cancer patients is increasing. However the utilisation and the effects of acupuncture during systemic cancer and radiation treatment have not been properly evaluated in the public health care system in Australia. The Northern Sydney Cancer Centre (NSCC) at the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) has introduced acupuncture for cancer patients as a pilot project for standard care. The aim is to evaluate the utilisation rate and the effects of acupuncture during cancer treatment. Patients receiving cancer treatment at NSCC, RNSH from June 2014 to May 2015 were approached and invited to participate in the study. The utilisation rate of acupuncture will be measured by the number of patients who received acupuncture treatment out of the total number of patients who received information about availability of acupuncture free of charge during systemic and radiotherapy cancer treatments. The effects of acupuncture will be measured with anxiety and depression, stress, fatigue and quality of life, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) using a pre and post-test design. The study findings will provide information about the utilisation and potential effects of acupuncture on cancer patients undergoing systemic and radiotherapy cancer treatments within a public health care system in Australia. This is the first study exploring the utilisation rate of acupuncture in cancer patients. Findings can be used for the development of evidence-based, holistic health strategies for comprehensive cancer care.
Dr Wen Cheng Wang (Winston Wang) has over 40 years of experience in Chinese medicine, with a special interest in traditional Chinese orthopaedics.
Since the presentation of the Natural Therapies Report, issued by a sector of the Health Commission of the Spanish Parliament, we have not seen a real interest for regulation.
Thirty seven year old female breast feeding a five month old baby presented herself with a painful sting on her upper right arm. After two days of applying hydro cortisone cream 'Sinacot', the site of the sting was still extremely painful and inflamed with red papules. Diagnosis was a skin rash due to toxic heat. Treatment was acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Results concluded that after three treatment sessions the rash and pain disappeared.
