more on Western medical acupuncture - versus traditional acupunctre

Recently I commented on the different types of Acupuncture:
I have made reference in earlier blogs to the reduced form of acupuncture that some health professionals  (GPs, physiotherapists, even osteopaths) train in   -  even though this is often little more than a weekend course!

This reductionist type of acupuncture is sometimes called 'dry-needling', or 'Western medical acupuncture'.  Apparently acupuncture has now become 'westernised'.  I think it has always been 'medical', for what else could it be?  Acupuncture is not shamanism, and there is a great deal of modern research validating the mechanisms and effectiveness of acupuncture.  (Perhaps this is what they mean by 'medical' and 'western'.)

Actually most acupuncturists in China and Taiwan, and many in Korea are medical doctors, trained in Western (pharmaceutical) medicine, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, etc.  And of course, there is also a great deal of research in acupuncture coming from universities in Taiwan, Korean, China and Japan, as well as Europe and the USA.  (Perhaps a bit confusing to call acupuncture Western.  OK it's also Western)

It's only really in Western countries that many acupuncturists are not medical doctors.  Actually, it is these (traditional) acupuncturists in Europe, NZ, Australia, etc, who are not medical doctors, that are far more extensively trained, in traditional acupuncture, than their 'medical' colleagues (and this often includes GPs and physiotherapists).

Quite the reverse of the extensive training the medical acupuncturists (who are doctors) get in Asian countries.  In Western countries, training might be little more than a weekend course, perhaps, for a so called 'Western medical' trained acupuncturist, who is a GP, physiotherapist or osteopath  -  versus a 3 year degree for a traditionally trained, so-called non-medical traditional acupuncturist.  Who would you rather visit?  Who do you think is most likely to get better results?  You decide.  (Well, you do  - for it is up to you, as a patient, who you choose to visit)

Anyway,  if you want to see more on this, please read  (hope the links work) :

http://www.christchurch-osteopathy-acupuncture.co.nz/acupuncture/traditionalDry.html



https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christchurch-Osteopathy-Acupuncture-Ltd/138554599651599?ref=hl


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