News from the Field

Abstract

Save the Date for the AAMA Annual Symposium

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) will hold its 2022 AAMA Annual Symposium on May 5–8, 2022, in Cincinnati, OH. The symposium will feature explorations of acupuncture mechanisms from different perspectives and an examination of current scientific research. In addition to the symposium, four pre-symposium workshops will be available. Topics will include auricular acupuncture microsystems, balance methods, constitutional diagnosis, and Neijing musculoskeletal therapies. https://medicalacupuncture.org/events/symposium-schedule-at-a-glance/

Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture Improving

An analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2010 to 2019 found that more acupuncture visits were paid for by insurance but that consumers continue to pay most costs out-of-pocket, according to a research letter in JAMA Network Open. Molly Candon, PhD, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, was the corresponding author. The researchers found that women were more likely to use acupuncture than were men, and, racially, 57% of the patients were white. The amount spent on acupuncture increased from a mean of $593 in 2010–2011 to $1,022 in 2018–2019. Visits covered by insurance rose from 41% in 2010–2011 to 50% in 2018–2019. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2787981?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=011222

Call for Papers: Special Issue on Laser Acupuncture

Medical Acupuncture is seeking articles about laser acupuncture or laser and photobiomodulation for a special issue of the journal. The guest editors will be Gerhard Litscher, MSc, PhD, MDsc, at the Medical University of Graz in Austria, and Im Quah-Smith, MD, PhD, at the University of New South Wales Medicine in Randwick, the Auricular Medicine, Centre for Wellbeing, The Mater Hospital in Wollstonecraft, and the Roseville Wellness Group in Roseville, all in Australia. Articles must be submitted by May 15, 2022. https://home.liebertpub.com/cfp/special-issue-on-laser-acupunctureandnbsp/367/

Acupuncture Helpful for Relieving Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Combining acupuncture with the antiemetic medication metoclopramide reduced the intensity of nausea and vomiting during postoperative recovery from laparoscopic-sleeve gastrectomy, according to a prospective randomized controlled study reported in the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques. Mehtap Honca, MD, in the department of anesthesiology and reanimation at Bozok University in Yozgat, Turkey, was the corresponding author. The researchers randomized 64 patients to receive acupuncture and metoclopramide or metoclopramide alone. The intervention group received acupuncture performed by needling the PC 6 and LI 4 acupoints bilaterally and the Yin Tang acupoint. Nausea intensity was similar between the groups at 1–6 postoperatively, but the number of patients with vomiting was higher in the group only receiving the medication at 12–24 hours postoperatively. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/lap.2021.0406

Patient Education Resource Available

A patient-education brochure entitled “What is Acupuncture About?” can be a helpful resource for physicians offering acupuncture to patients. The brochure helps explain what medical acupuncture is and how it may benefit patients. The brochure informs readers about how acupuncture works, the number of treatments typically needed, the types of conditions acupuncture can address, and possible side-effects. The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture also has published the brochure's content on its website. https://medicalacupuncture.org/for-patients/what-is-acupuncture-about/

Research Foundation Grants

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture created the Allen McDaniels Grant—Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation in 2019. The grants for members of the Academy can be used to fund pragmatic clinical-trial proposals but not placebo-comparison trials. Areas of interest include new methods of diagnosis, treatment, or technology; assessments of clinical outcomes; educational research; and COVID-19 studies. The maximum grant size is $30,000 annually. Grant applications must be received by February 28, 2022. https://medicalacupuncture.org/for-physicians/marf/

Publisher Announces New Integrative Journal

Scott D. Mist, PhD, MAcOM, MS, MA, LAc, an executive editor of the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, announced the formation of a new journal, Integrative Medicine Reports from Mary Ann Liebert, publishers—also the publisher of Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Mist will serve as Editor-in-Chief for the new open-access journal, which will focus on integrative and complementary medicine, including acupuncture. The publisher decided to initiate a new journal due to the large number of excellent studies submitted to its existing journals in the integrative-medicine fields. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2021.29101.hoc

Post Article Discusses Acupuncture and Finding a Provider

The Washington Post published an article about acupuncture, covering how it works, recent research, and related health care policy. The article also advised readers on how to select an acupuncture provider. The Post's recommendation was to look for a medical physician certified by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture or for nonphysician providers who have certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The article also suggests asking a physician for acupuncturist recommendations and talking with friends. Additionally, it lists several questions to ask the acupuncture provider before scheduling a session. www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/picking-an-acupuncturist/2021/10/03/019d5394-220a-11ec-9309-b743b79abc59_story.html

Gender Differences in Photobiomodulation Therapy, Including Laser Acupuncture

A literature review, reported in Advances in Photobiomodulation, found significant gender-related effects in photobiomodulation outcome responses, including when laser acupuncture was used. Hosen Kiat, MBBS, DMedSci, at the Cardiac Health Institute in Sydney; University of New South Wales, in Kensington; Macquarie University in Macquarie Park, all in Australia, was the corresponding author. The researchers indicated differences in tendon structural and mechanical outcomes, and mitochondrial-gene expression. The article explored the physiologic mechanisms directing gender differences. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/photob.2021.0066

AAMA Annual Review Course

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) will present the Medical Acupuncture Review Course from March 18, 2022 to April 8, 2022. The course is a refresher for physicians in major subject areas either prior to sitting for the American Board of Medical Acupuncture Board Certification Examination or for physicians who would like to review the course. It is organized into 8 prerecorded, online lecture sessions. Participants have 10 days to review the lecture and complete a short quiz. Additionally, a live discussion session takes place on a regular schedule. https://medicalacupuncture.org/events/review-course/

Expert Spotlight

Freda Dreher, MD, FAAMA, the immediate past president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) and a Medical Acupuncture editorial board member, in private practice in Lebanon, NH, USA, will present a session about “Acupuncture and the Injured Physician” at the upcoming American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Annual Symposium.

Joshua Margolis, LAc, of Santa Rosa, CA, USA, presented an American Academy of Medical Acupuncture webinar “The Cord that Binds: Segmental Acupuncture—a Multilayer Approach.” https://medicalacupuncture.org/event/acupuncture-and-manual-medicine-webinar/

Yun Jin Kim, PhD, an associate professor at Xiamen University in Selangor, Malaysia, wrote an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies about using acupressure for mental wellness among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/act.2021.29355.yjk

Stephanie I. Cheng, MD, DABMA, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY, USA, will present a session about “Perioperative Acupuncture” at the upcoming American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Annual Symposium.