Training Videos > Mapping acupuncture styles in practice using a practitioner survey

There have always been different styles of acupuncture, and practitioners often advocate for one style over others. Traditional practitioners are influenced by the modern understanding of the body, medical acupuncturists learn traditional concepts. How different are these styles in practice? If given a case study with the points and auxiliary techniques used, can we confidently identify the style of acupuncture? If a clinical trial reports that medical acupuncture, or TCM, or five phases, was used; how can we be sure the acupuncture reflects actual practice?

 

This presentation reports on a practitioner survey, (N=219), which looked at the ‘physical components’ of acupuncture when treating knee osteoarthritis. These include: the distribution of points used; methods of stimulation and adjunctive techniques; number of treatments; and lifestyle advice. The information gathered enabled a picture to be built of acupuncture in practice: mapping the inter- and intra-variability of acupuncture styles. The survey raises questions about the extent to which these styles can be clearly delineated in clinical research. The presentation will also report on a preliminary attempt to use the data to assess the external validity of ‘real’ acupuncture and the active nature of the sham procedures.