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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT MY COURSES IN WESTERN MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

FOR PATIENTS

ABOUT MY COURSES IN WESTERN MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE

What is Western medical acupuncture?
Traditional Chinese acupuncture uses a complicated system of ancient ideas that are not easy for modern health practitioners to understand or accept today. However, many of us find that acupuncture can be understood in scientific terms. This makes it easier to use in a Western setting, and it allows researchers to investigate acupuncture in terms that make sense in a modern scientific context. Western medical acupuncture either ignores the traditional ideas of channels ("meridians") and acupuncture "points" completely or interprets them in a different way.

What's this dry needling business?
"Dry needling" is a term used by some health professionals. It means inserting a needle without injecting anything (injection treatment would be "wet needling"). "Dry needling" is simply another name for Western medical acupuncture.

Isn't the traditional version more authentic/better?
Traditionalists claim that Western medical acupuncture can treat "simple" problems but that the traditional version is needed for more complicated situations. There is no good evidence to support these claims. Practitioners of the modern version treat a wide range of conditions successfully.

How can you learn acupuncture in such a short time?
The modern version of acupuncture is easy to learn for Western health professionals because it is an extension of what they already know. It makes use of the training they already have and applies it in a different way.

Some training course last many hundreds of hours. Wouldn't they be better than a short course like yours?
Many of those who participate in lengthy courses have no previous training as health professionals so they have to learn everything from scratch (anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc.). Also, they are studying the traditional Chinese ideas, which are unfamiliar to Westerners and take a considerable time to begin to understand. There is no good evidence that this gives better results.

What are your qualifications for teaching acupuncture?
I am a conventionally qualified medical doctor who practises and teaches Western medical acupuncture. Until my retirement in 1998 I was a consultant physician at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (known then as the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital), which is a National Health Service hospital for the study and practice of various kinds of complementary medicine. I was responsible for introducing an acupuncture service at the hospital in 1977. I am a member of the British Medical Acupuncture Society and hold the Diploma in Western Medical Acupuncture awarded by the Society. I am also a Council member and Trustee and past Vice-President of the Society. I have written three textbooks of acupuncture for use in the courses I teach, as well as many papers on acupuncture.

Shall I get hands-on experience on the course?
Most definitely. Practical experience is a central part of the course. Participants have the opportunity to practise the techniques on one another under supervision.

Shall I be able to practise acupuncture after the course?
Yes, that is the purpose of the course. It is essential to practise the techniques as much as possible in order to acquire the necessary skill and experience.

Who is your course recognised by?
There is no formal recognition of acupuncture training in Britain. This course is recognised by the University of Hertfordshire School of Postgraduate Medicine as an entry requirement for their programme leading to an MSc in Western medical acupuncture. It is also recognised by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists as a suitable course for their members.

Who is eligible to join this course?
The course is open to most types of health professionals who are statutorily recognised. This includes,for example, doctors, nurses, podiatrists, osteopaths, chiropractors, and physiotherapists. Other health professionals may also be suitable provided they are already involved in the active treatment of patients.

I'm a sports therapist. Can I take the course?
I'm sorry; sports therapists and other practitioners who are not currently statutorily regulated are not able to attend these courses. A possible alternative is to study "acupressure", for which a number of courses exists.

How does your course differ from other courses in Western medical acupuncture?
This course uses very few classic "points", and regards the points terminology as simply a shorthand to record where the needle has been inserted. On the other hand, a lot of attention is given to needling technique and judging the right amount of stimulus to apply. In many cases this is more important than the exact site of needling. See Where to place the needles and for how long? for further details.

What qualification does the course provide?
As there are no formal qualifications in acupuncture in Britain this does not arise. All participants receive a Certificate of Attendance after the course.

Can I join the British Medical Acupuncture Society after the course?
The British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) is open to all statutorily regulated health professionals. There is no requirement to have attended a course in order to become a member, so membership does not, in itself, constitute any kind of qualification. It merely indicates that the practitioner concerned is interested in acupuncture.

What qualifications does the BMAS offer its members?
The BMAS offers a Certificate of Basic Competence to its members. They are expected to submit a number of cases for approval and to have given evidence of awareness of the safety aspects of acupuncture. Members who have obtained this Certificate may opt later to apply for the Diploma in Medical Acupuncture, which is based on the demonstration of more extensive experience of acupuncture.

What reading should I do before the course?
It is not essential to read anything before coming on the course but some suggestions for reading are available. It is a good idea to refresh your knowledge of anatomy if this has become a little rusty.

How should I go on learning after the course?
The best way to do this is to join the BMAS, which provides its members with many ways of enhancing their knowledge.

Do you offer training in advanced acupuncture?
There is no "advanced acupuncture"! Acupuncture is a set of fairly basic techniques. Once these have been acquired, which does not take long, it is then a matter of applying them appropriately in different situations. Obviously, one's results improve with practice, but there is no body of esoteric knowledge that has to be acquired. Becoming an expert acupuncturist is largely dependent on using acupuncture a lot.

What should I do about insurance to practise acupuncture?
Acupuncture is normally covered by your existing professional insurance. You should inform your defence society that you are using acupuncture and let them have a photocopy of your certificate of attendance.

What is the evidence base for acupuncture?
The evidence is of two kinds. Research has provided plausible scientific evidence for the effects of needling both locally and centrally. There is also evidence for the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in a number of conditions, although, owing to the difficulty of devising suitable control procedures for acupuncture, 'blinding' in clinical trials is hard to achieve.

How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works at a number of different levels. Neurotransmitters such as CGRP and Substance P are released in the tissues. Changes occur in the pain pathways in the spinal cord, both segmentally and extra-segmentally. There are changes in various brain areas, including the brain stem, limbic system, and cortex.

I am pregnant. Can I attend the course?
Acupuncture appears to be safe in pregnancy so there is no reason why you should not attend the course if you are pregnant. You should let us know you are pregnant if you choose to attend.

How can I contact you?
You can email me at ac[at]acampbell.org.uk

FOR PATIENTS

Is acupuncture suitable for my condition?
It isn't possible to give a complete list, partly because a lot depends on the reaction of the individual patient. Some people are much better subjects than others, and some don't respond at all. In general, acupuncture is good for pain, especially pain in the muscles and joints (including some kinds of arthritis). It can also help in a range of other disorders, including headaches and migraine, some allergies, painful periods, and ulcerative colitis.

Does it hurt?
Acupuncture is usually not completely pain-free. However, it is no more painful than an ordinary injection or blood test and in many cases it is less painful than these. As a rule it is necessary to produce a little pain to achieve an improvement but some people feel nothing at all. Oddly enough, you may even find that acupuncture makes you feel relaxed and happy. If this happens it probably means that you are a good acupuncture subject and are likely to benefit from this form of treatment. (If it doesn't happen to you, however, that is not a bad sign; you may do well anyway.)

May I be worse, with more pain, after acupuncture?
Some patients find that their symptoms become temporarily worse for a short time after acupuncture. This is termed an aggravation. Tell the person who is treating you about this next time you come; it may be possible to avoid the aggravation in future by treating you more lightly, with fewer needles or for a shorter time. But some people will get an a mild aggravation every time they have acupuncture. In general, aggravation is followed by an improvement, so it is quite a good sign. But severe pain after acupuncture is not normal; if it happens, tell your acupuncturist.

Do I have to believe in it for it to work?
No; belief doesn't matter. In fact, the best results are often seen in people who didn't expect it to work! Provided you are willing to have the treatment it may work.

What if I am pregnant?
Acupuncture is regarded as safe in pregnancy. If you are pregnant you should tell your acupuncturist in case any modification of treatment is required. Acupuncture often works well for nausea in the early months of pregnancy.

What if I am a blood donor?
Discuss this with your acupuncturist. You can be given a letter to show to the blood donor authorities, explaining that you have had acupuncture from a regulated health professional who uses single-use disposable needles. This will usually allow you to give blood.

Is it safe to drive after having acupuncture?
Some degree of drowsiness after acupuncture is fairly common. This may make driving or operating machinery dangerous, so patients should generally not drive themselves home after treatment, particularly on the first occasion. Sometimes drowsiness does not occur after the first treatment but does occur on a subsequent occasion, and it is also possible for the onset of drowsiness to occur later in the day, some hours after treatment. Patients who have had acupuncture should therefore be cautious about driving for the rest of the day and should be prepared for their reflexes to be slower than normal.

Can acupuncture transmit AIDS or hepatitis?
Responsible acupuncturists always use disposable needles which are thrown away after use. In these circumsntances there is no risk of transmission of disease. You should ask about this if you are in any doubt.

How soon will I notice an improvement?
Some patients notice partial or even complete relief as soon as the needle is put in but this is exceptional. Most find that improvement takes longer to appear - sometimes later the same day, or perhaps up to two or three days later.

How many treatments will I require?
Sometimes one treatment is enough but this is unusual. Most people require a course of roughly 3 to 6 treatments. At first you may be asked to come back after one or two weeks; as improvement occurs the intervals between treatments may be made longer. Generally speaking, there should be at least some effect after two or three treatments. If nothing at all happens you are probably not going to respond to this form of treatment. You should never be asked to book in for a fixed number of treatments in advance, since the course of treatment is always unpredictable. In many cases an occasional 'top-up' treatment is needed to maintain improvement. As a rule only one treatment is required for this, even if the initial course was longer.

Is acupuncture available on the NHS?
Many doctors, physiotherapists, and others offer acupuncture on the NHS to their patients. Acupuncture is used in many pain clinics. Acupuncture is an important form of treatment at The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, which is a NHS hospital.

I still have questions. Where can I find more information?
My book for patients, So You Want to Have Acupuncture?, answers questions about acupuncture in more detail.

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