Patients with back pain should receive acupuncture through the NHS, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended in its latest guidelines. Follow the link to read the latest on the NICE findings on acupuncture and back pain!

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nhs-pins-its-hopes-for-treating-back-pain-on-acupuncture-1691215.html

The British Acupuncture Council has welcomed the report:

26th May 2009

The British Acupuncture Council, the UK’s largest professional body for the practice of acupuncture, fully supports NICE’s (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) decision that acupuncture be made available on the NHS for chronic lower back pain.

Traditional acupuncture has been used for over 2,000 years to alleviate back pain and British Acupuncture Council members have for many many years been successfully treating patients for this condition either in private practice or working within the NHS. In effect, therefore, these new guidelines are a rubber stamp of the positive work already being undertaken as well as an endorsement of the wealth of research evidence now available in this area.

Back pain affects more than 1.1 million people in the UK with 95% of patients suffering from lower back pain problems [1]. Recent research has shown that acupuncture treatment can be effective in treating back pain [2] and introducing acupuncture treatment on the NHS can be very beneficial for patients who are suffering from the one of the nation’s main reasons for work-related sickness absence [3]. 
It is essential for patients to choose an acupuncturist who is registered with a professional body. British Acupuncture Council members have extensive undergraduate degree level training in acupuncture and bio medical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture in the UK. They are bound by strict codes of ethics, and safe practice and professional conduct. 
Every patient who visits a British Acupuncture Council practitioner is given a full consultation prior to treatment in order for a traditional diagnosis and treatment plan to be drawn up.

The profession of traditional acupuncture continues to be a beneficial and effective therapy for a variety of conditions and the thorough consultation and diagnosis process is of paramount importance to its efficacy.

The British Acupuncture Council is working towards the forthcoming statutory regulation of acupuncture to ensure the highest standards of professional excellence are maintained.

Mike O’Farrell
Chief Executive, The British Acupuncture Council

[1] NHS
[2] Statistics provided from HTA Spotlight: Acupuncture for back pain
Research by the University of Regensburg has shown that acupuncture is one of the most effective therapies for back pain. The research published by Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that acupuncture can provide significantly more relief from lower back pain than conventional therapies. The Chinese needle treatment was 74% more likely to lead to a sustained reduction in pain or improved ability to function normally than physiotherapy, medication and advice on exercise.
[3] NHS

About the British Acupuncture Council
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has a membership of over 2,900 professionally qualified acupuncturists. It is the UK’s largest professional body for the practice of acupuncture.

BAcC members practise a traditional, holistic style of acupuncture diagnosis and treatment based on a system developed and refined over 2,000 years. To achieve BAcC membership, practitioners must first undertake extensive training in traditional acupuncture (minimum three years full-time or part-time equivalent), which includes physiology, anatomy and other biomedical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture in the UK.

A German study has assessed the cost-effectiveness of adjunctive acupuncture treatment for allergic rhinitis. 981 patients were randomly allocated to two groups; both received usual care, but one group additionally received ten acupuncture sessions. Quality of life and direct and indirect costs were assessed at baseline and after three months, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of acupuncture treatment was calculated. The study concluded that acupuncture, supplementary to routine care, was beneficial and, according to international benchmarks, cost-effective. (Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in women and men with allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled study in usual care. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Mar 1;169(5):562-71).

From the Journal of Chinese Medicine:
A systematic review of studies of acupuncture for insomnia, including papers published in both English and Chinese, has been carried out by researchers in Hong Kong. Twenty RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The majority of RCTs concluded that traditional needle acupuncture (TNA) was significantly more effective than benzodiazepines for treating insomnia, with mean effective rates for acupuncture and benzodiazepines being 91% and 75%, respectively. TNA also appeared to be better at improving sleep than sleep hygiene counselling and sham acupuncture. Standardised and individualised acupuncture were found to have similar effective rates. The authors point out methodological shortcomings in the studies reviewed and highlight the need for large scale, high-quality trials. (Traditional needle acupuncture treatment for insomnia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sleep Med. 2009 Mar 18. [Epub ahead of print]).

ACUPUNCTURE ASSISTS IVF:

THE LATEST ON IVF AND ACUPUNCTURE from the Journal of Chinese Medicine:

American researchers have investigated the effects of acupuncture on serum cortisol and prolactin in IVF patients undergoing drug-induced ovarian hyperstimulation. Sixty-seven women were randomised to receive either IVF alone or IVF plus acupuncture, according to protocols derived from randomised controlled trials. Serum levels of cortisol and prolactin were measured and synchronised with medication stimulation days of the IVF cycle. Cortisol levels in the acupuncture group were significantly higher on IVF medication days 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 compared with controls. Prolactin levels in the acupuncture group were significantly higher on IVF medication days 5, 6, 7, and 8 compared with controls. The authors conclude that there appears to be beneficial regulation of cortisol and prolactin in the acupuncture group during the medication phase of the IVF treatment, with a trend toward more normal fertile cycle dynamics. (Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer treatment. Fertil Steril. 2008 Dec 30.)

At the Camberley Natural Therapy Centre and at her new London clinics Sue Kalicinska is running workshops for businesses who are looking for exciting and innovative ways to improve the performance and confidence of their staff.  Using her “Sounding the  Colours of Life” workshops and sessions, she is able to help employees become clearer in decision making, allowing talents to manifest and shine.

See the “Sounding the  Colours of Life” section on our therapies page for more information.  Alternatively call Sue on 07768322795 or email info@suekalicinska.co.uk.