Complementary and alternative medicine

I am often asked permutations of this question, and my answer is that acupuncturists are not doctors, and deciding to change or reduce medication must always be done under a doctor’s supervision. It is important to have these conversations with your medical team, and it’s crucial if you are considering making changes to medications, that your GP and any consultants whose care you are under, are up to date on what you are doing.

Pharmacists can also be a very helpful resource, and in particular if you are using over the counter medications, they can advise you of contraindications and interactions they may have with your prescribed medications.

In terms of acupuncture and working with patients, some of the reasons people are looking at introducing complementary medicines and coming to us, is for example to help them reduce the number of painkillers they are taking, or see if we can do something to help their side-effects. This can be very helpful as long as we have a team approach, realistic expectations and discussions, and the patient is also working with their GP or consultant.

The research evidence for acupuncture is growing, and we find that medical professionals are more and more aware of what we do, in some cases recommending acupuncture for particular conditions, so be sure to tell you GP if you are thinking of acupuncture, and keep them up to date on how you are getting along.

Some common questions on how we work alongside allopathic medicine

“But what will my doctor say?”

Take a look at Helen Smallwood’s video about this exact question, which shows that acupuncture is popular, and that research has shown that it is well-supported by medical professionals.

Studies have shown that majority (83%) of GPs agree acupuncture can be clinically useful and 72% that it can be cost effective. (Lipman et al, 2003), and 65% agree acupuncture is effective (White, Resch, & Ernst 1997).Â Â In a study by the British Medical Association

“Overall 79% of the GPs agreed that they would like to see acupuncture available on the NHS” (BMA, 2000 p76).

Where GPs recommend acupuncture to patients, it is mostly for pain relief, musculoskeletal disorders, psychological conditions, stress, skin diseases and chronic illnesses (BMA, 2000; Giannelli, Cuttini, Da Fre & Buiatti, 2007; Adams 2001a; Ernst 2000b; Desser, 2003, Lewis & Halvorsen, 2003). Their support is shown by the fact that between 59% (BMA, 2000) and 79% (Lipman, 2000) of GPs would like to see acupuncture available within the NHS.

Chen et al, in a survey of doctors (2010; n=1083 physicians, USA) found that the overwhelming majority of replies from doctors had a positive attitude and favourable experience of using acupuncture for patients’ chronic pain management. Similarly a later study showed acupuncture is considered a useful modality by physician leaders, that it is a safe and worthwhile option for common pain conditions (Mann et al, 2016).

Tag Archives: Complementary and alternative medicine

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Shaftesbury Clinic