Acu. Winter 2020

Wisdom News

Acubites

Practice Complex cases & ART Treating long Covid Congratulations to the BAcC A drop in the ocean Some thoughts on intuition Further points of contact

Inspiration By members, for members Acupuncture Quarterly from the BAcC | Winter 2020

A mountain for men to climb Crumbs & sandwiches Using the wisdom of experience

Opinion Some words about our noble lineage Founding a profession Goodbye to all what?

One big BAcC family

Community Fu: The Turning Point

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Editorial Acu. is a BAcC publication, written by members, for members. It combines content relevant to the clinical practice of acupuncture with communications from the BAcC office and Governing Board.

Editorial policy Community: we aim to facilitate debate and the sharing of news and information for all members of our acupuncture community.

Support: we aim to support members in their professional practice by publishing articles that have genuine practical use.

Diversity: we seek to represent all traditions and strands of practice present in the membership. We also welcome content covering other health matters relevant to acupuncture.

Freedom and debate: we respect the right of all members to air their views and to challenge the views of other individuals and/or organisations where appropriate.

Accuracy and fairness: we strive to be accurate and fair in what we print. We will be open in admitting our mistakes and do our best to rectify them.

Contribute We encourage all members to contribute to Acu. via editor@acupuncture.org.uk For full details of submissions and advertising see Contributions page.

Editorial team Houri Alavi (member) Scott Bridges (member) Tim Brown (member) Sally Crowther (member) Ann Gordon (staff) Joan Maynard (staff) Jonquil Westwood Pinto (member) Steve Wheeler (member, chair)

Design Whirligig Creative

Cover Joan Maynard

Copy & publishing dates 2021 Issue Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Copy deadline Mailing 19 January 12 March 20 April 11 June 20 July 10 September 19 October 10 December

Sally Crowther Overseas Member: Portugal

In a strange year, many of us have found ourselves changing plans and ending up in unexpected places. I write this from central Portugal where I’m on a recce to see if it’s possible to buy a lowcost home, live off the land and have a successful acupuncture practice.

Fear seeded my decision to come – the fear of not being able to pay the mortgage, the fear of working in a mask, the fear of the vaccine, the fear of isolation and loneliness. I accepted my fears, analysed them, and assessed where would be the best place for me to live. Only time will tell if wisdom arrived or if my decisions were borne only of fear. But for me, a desire to live more in harmony with the land arose and became so strong I could not ignore it anymore.

This leads me on to the theme of this issue – the wisdom of water. Fear transmuted becomes wisdom. The team chose this topic because we are craving some wise words in a bewildering year.

And we have not been disappointed.

We have some great content for you, as always, as colleagues answered the call and delivered words of wisdom in abundance.

Our Wisdom Of Experience articles throughout the issue pay testament to those who helped lay the foundations for acupuncture in the UK, with some fascinating stories and insights from the likes of Julian Scott, Cinzia Scorzon and Charlie Buck, about how and why the BAcC was formed. In this year when we should have been proudly celebrating the BAcC’s 25th anniversary, it is great to look back and reflect on all that has been achieved, and to appreciate how far acceptance of acupuncture in the UK has come.

We also bring you some Further Points Of Contact on page 16, where colleagues elsewhere in the world share their experiences of lockdown, or lack of, as

you may be fascinated to read in the contribution from our member, Michael Maynard, in Sweden.

No winter issue is complete without a focus on fertility and we present an impressive case study from Qing Zhang who details how she supports complicated cases of patients going through assisted reproductive techniques (ART). And Ian Stones talks of his mission to remove the stigma around male infertility and of his forthcoming trek to Everest base camp in March 2022, where he is aiming to raise £6,000 plus for the charity Fertility Network UK. We also touch upon the contentious business of the rise of ‘conspirituality’ in our Acubites section – a sensitive issue that we feel deserves an airing, as views become increasingly polarised and information gets ever harder to verify.

Acu. remains digital for this issue and we appreciate your patience as we navigate through these uncertain times.

We hope you can enjoy the benefits being online brings, as we continue to look for ways of making our presentation every bit as pleasing as the content.

Hard times fortify the soul. Just as a cold, dark and wet winter is needed for a good summer I hope we will look back on 2020 as the seed that grew into something better than before.

I’ll leave you with some ancient words of wisdom from our elder Qi Bo, who says to Huang Di in the Suwen: ‘When the qi and shen are present and sound, no pathogen can invade a person, even when the cycles of nature are disruptive and plagues are near.’

Keynotes Like many of you I wish we were in a different position. I wish there weren't so many unknowns and that our short-term future was more certain. I wish we weren't under the shadow of a global pandemic and looming economic uncertainty.

This year has taught us all that nothing is certain and that our fate, alongside the fate of the global community, can turn quickly and without warning. Even so, I remain optimistic about our future.

Throughout this terrible time, Governing Board members, staff and members have risen to the occasion at every turn. With your combined support and co-operation, we managed to move as quickly as possible to enable those who wished to return to practice to do so safely and in accordance with government guidelines.

On the administration side, we have learned much from undergoing a sustained public health crisis. Like all of you, we have been thrust into the fray of seemingly never-ending issues and decisions thrown up by this pandemic. Have we dealt with everything perfectly? Absolutely not! I will readily attest to the stumbles and false starts along the way including (but not limited to) IT failures, cyberattacks and communication snafus.

But failure is part of what it means to be bold and daring.

We have helped our members to tackle significant problems – indeed, I've seen many successes, working with members to build a collective responsibility to support themselves, each other and their patients in this time of crisis. Perhaps our greatest achievement this year has been to develop comprehensive Covid-19 secure guidelines, now being used widely not just within our own field but also as a blueprint for others. I am proud to say that we have been contacted by several local authorities, asking for our expertise and guidance through these uncharted waters.

Our own ways of doing things in the office have had to change dramatically.

Our staff have worked above and beyond, allowing us to be as nimble and flexible as possible, whether working from our kitchen tables or in the office. We have also fostered trust and collaboration with other like-minded organisations to provide you with additional resources.

As you know, through necessity we had to make significant savings in order to survive this year financially.

This has meant a radical change in our staff structure, to create a more agile set-up that can still provide a full and

comprehensive service for all members, as well as building capacity for the future – the layout on page 31 should help give you a clearer idea of how we are all now working.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the staff who have left this year. Their contribution to the BAcC through the years has been invaluable and I hope that we can match the commitment and support they have always provided. You will read warm wishes from members and colleagues on pages 38 and 39. I wish all of them every success in the future.

Even as we move into the next phase of development of this global pandemic, our short-term reality is and will be tough. You will continue to be put to the test as acupuncturists, and to help you, we will do our utmost to adapt and grow. We have already established a dedicated Covid-19 webpage and email, so that you can find information quickly and easily and talk to our Covid Secure Working Group directly if you have additional questions about your practice. We have also launched a successful series of supportive campaigns and webinars which will continue into 2021, and we are beginning to build back items we had to suspend during 2020.

In 2021 we will launch our new strategy, which will look to the future with all we hope to achieve in the years to come. At the same time, we continue to listen to your concerns and will work hard to maintain healthy lines of communication, with all of you and through all channels.

Finally, the focus of this Acu. is wisdom. Several long-standing members have written about the initial excitement and passion of creating the BAcC 25 years ago and the great strides taken along the way. One of the pearls of wisdom I will take from this year is that the passion and excitement has not gone away.

I have seen that our members have been steadfast in their support for the organisation and their enthusiasm for what they do. Our membership numbers have remained constant, and we have been truly humbled to receive so many positive encouraging emails and calls.

I want to thank you, for you are the British Acupuncture Council. You

have put your faith and support in us during a year where we have yet to find the right words to describe the difficulty, the fear and the tragedy that has been wrought on our own community, the wider public and across the globe. We will continue to look to the future carrying the lessons from this very recent past.

Jennifer Norton 〉 020 8735 1206 〉 jennifer@acupuncture.org.uk

Jennifer Norton Chief Executive

By members, for members

Issue #29 Winter 2020

News

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4 Acubites

Practice 6 WebWatch 6 Supporting complex cases during ART Case study by Qing Zhang 8 Evidence base Abstracts from Lisa Sherman 10 Treating long Covid in my Japanese acupuncture clinic Marian Fixler 12 Congratulations to the BAcC Beverley de Valois 13 A drop in the ocean Mark Bovey 14 An alternative medicine Dapeng Zhang 14 Kori gassi Mangalorean chicken recipe from Jonquil Westwood Pinto 15 Some thoughts on intuition Felicity Moir 16 Further points of contact Michael Maynard, Yvette Masure & Bridget Hunter

Inspiration 18 Just my point: DU 4 Peter Firebrace 19 The classic of difficulties Claire Dabreo 20 Shamanism in Chinese Medicine by CT Holman Book review by Steve Wheeler 21 Chinese lesson: zhi Sandra Hill 22 A mountain for men to climb Ian Stones 23 Crumbs & sandwiches Susan Thorne 24 Using the wisdom of experience Sarah Budd

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Opinion

Community

26 Some words about our noble lineage Julian Scott 27 Founding a profession Charles Buck 28 Goodbye to all what?

John Wheeler 29 One big BAcC family Cinzia Scorzon

30 On reflection Pia Huber 31 Membership Services Committee catch-up Committee notes from Joanne Brown 32 Office team update Who's who and who does what 33 Meet the newbies Stephen Rainbird, Fiona Lam & Anna Massey 34 Fu: The Turning Point College news from Elio Basagni 36 Now is the time to say goodbye Words of good wishes and farewell 38 Regional group contacts 39 Classifieds & office contacts 39 Call for contributions

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News

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Acubites A smörgåsbord of plant-based newsbits prepared with members in mind

Your editorial team

Steve Wheeler

Houri Alavi

Health campaigns coming up Use these campaigns as a hook for your practice marketing or promotion and support all of us in the BAcC Dry January 〉 January 〉 the 1 UK's one-month booze-free challenge that helps millions reset their relationship with alcohol in the first month of every new year JAN

World cancer day 〉 4 February 〉 this global annual event aims to save millions of preventable deaths from cancer each year by encouraging individuals to take action. A great opportunity to spread the word and raise awareness of cancer in people’s minds and the world media.

FEB

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World Sleep Day 〉 19 March 〉 a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important sleep-related issues. A great hook for promoting acupuncture, this annual event aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.

MAR

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Cash in on Acu. Do you want to sell a couch or some acupuncture textbooks? Got a room to rent out? Looking for volunteers? Don’t forget Acu. classifieds – 40 words a pop and FREE to all members and students.

We can help you reduce, reuse and recycle 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Jonquil Westwood Pinto

Sally Crowther

Singing Dragon webinar discount The team at Singing Dragon have been running a free Acupuncture Webinar Series since midSeptember on their Facebook page, with sessions by Rebecca Avern, John Hamwee, Z’ev Rosenberg and many more of their prominent authors.

All webinars remained free for 24 hours after their go-live date. If you missed any or all of the live events, or if there are sessions you’d like to revisit, you can still catch up for a small fee through Singing Dragon’s new platform, the Singing Dragon Library.

What’s more, Singing Dragon are offering an exclusive 25 per cent off their full webinar price for all BAcC members. To claim your discount, just visit the Singing Dragon Library and use the code AWS25 when you pay for any video in the series!

Long Covid support A campaign to raise awareness of long Covid is being run by Queer feminist wellness collective @wearebodypolitic One yoga teacher still recovering six months down the line posted: ‘It’s important to support people going through this and to raise awareness as more and more people suffer.

Difficulties may be walking, headaches, shaking, head fog, dizziness, breathlessness, heart racing, heart slowing down, chest pain, jaw pain, blurred vision and fatigue. There’s still very little support for people. I’ve found the @iyengaryogauk suggested COVID program on their website very helpful, also @loissteinbergs respiratory program’.

Scott Bridges

Tim Brown

Former prime minister of Ukraine promotes TCM According to Chinese news outlets, the former Ukranian PM Yulia Tymoshenko has become a big fan and promoter of TCM after recovering from being seriously ill with Covid-19 with the help of treatment.

Campaign webinars well worth watching Over the past few months, everybody's new BM Zoom has allowed us to connect you with a variety of expert speakers – including BAcC members and some from the other side of the world – all from the the comfort of your own home.

All three of our Let's talk about... campaigns – on Anxiety, Fertility and Long Covid – remain on the Member website for you to use any time you like, with Long Covid continuing through December.

In the words of Houri Alavi: 'I’m finding the long Covid webinars v educational – so many case studies with such a variety of approaches, some of which I don’t even recognise as acupuncture.'

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

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Need to know Pressed for time? Want to grab the essential info now and read the rest later? Here’s where to start

Your future Acu. latest Very many thanks to all those members who responded to our survey on print versus digital in the last issue – we heard from 10 per cent of the membership… and of them, 84 per cent were in favour of a print version.

What next? While for this issue we’re staying digital only, our current challenge is finding a viable way to once again offer a print version of Acu. from spring next year. Really not as simple as it might sound – but to all of you who took the time to tell us what you’d like, please rest assured, we’re working on it!

Check our Covid-19 updates Don’t forget, if you need to refer to the BAcC Covid-19 guidelines, or any other coronavirus related issue, you’ll find regular updates on the Member website Coronavirus information pages.

And if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, just get in touch with our Covid Secure Working Group for a rapid response 〉 covid.info@acupuncture.org.uk

Castanea sativa: not just for roasting

It's been a long old year! refresh your memory with Keynotes 〉 p2

This bowl of festive chestnuts dropped into the Acu. inbox with greetings from overseas member and contributor Yvette Masure (see page 16), so we asked her for a few festive facts: Roasted in their tough outer shells on an open fire or brazier, sweet chestnuts give off an unmistakeable aroma redolent of cold winter days.

The nuts can be made into candied sweets, the celebrated ‘marron glacés’, a French delicacy my mother, being French, adored.

It is said the botanical name Castanea came from Kastania in Thessaly in Greece, where great numbers of trees were grown for their edible nut – sativa meaning ‘cultivated’, used of domesticated plants grown as a crop.

Trees often have large trunks measuring up to nine metres round with a deeply fissured spiralling bark.

Fruits are housed in a green prickly casing or ‘burr’ for protection. When ripe, they split open to reveal two, three or occasionally four shiny nuts.

Chestnuts are low in fat and calories, highly valued as a food source and traditionally ground into flour.

The trees can live up to 2,000 years when growing naturally in their preferred climate and soil. The oldest and largest known specimen grows on the Eastern slope of Europe’s tallest volcano, Mount Etna in Sicily.

Need help wih long Covid patients?

Marian Fixler shares her experience 〉 p10

Who's won a Moxi t-shirt?

Member Heather Adams spotted Moxi in amongst the tomatoes on page 23 of the autumn Acu. But where's Moxi bedding down for winter?

Taking the acting chair Pia Huber reflects on GB concerns 〉 p30 Wondering who's there to help? get the full office picture 〉 p32 Where's Moxi???

Win yourself a tshirt for lockdown xmas 〉 p??

In his song The Poor Ditching Boy…

… the great singer-songwriter Richard Thompson wrote the lyrics ‘The storming wind cut through to my skin But she cut through to my blood’, observes member Peter Mole. It looks like he’s been studying the Shang Han Lun. Or perhaps Su Wen chapter 5 which states that the external causes of disease primarily affect the body, whereas the internal causes primarily affect the shen. Either way he seems to have a reasonable grasp of Chinese medicine’s theory of disease causation.

Find Moxi and let us know before 25 January 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.uk

And remember, if you spot some news snacks you'd like to share in Acubites, just send them our way 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.uk

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Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

WebWatch Casebook: supporting complicated cases during ART Radiolab: Invisible Allies

Here’s a fascinating story about what researchers are discovering about vitamin D and Covid-19, as well as the racial politics of recommending vitamin D to BAME populations, plus a discussion about the potential anti-microbial powers of copper.

Listen for free to the podcast or read the transcript.

After many years of receiving referrals from her local fertility clinic, BAcC member Qing Zhang describes here the kind of treatment and support she offers by outlining one woman’s success story. Although her name has been omitted, the patient has given full permission for all other details of her case to be published.

The Embodied Way Podcast

A series of podcasts about returning to our senses in the virtual age.

The host speaks to embodiment scholars, authors and activists who are working to promote social and cultural change through the ways we embody ourselves, our values, voices and our intuitive and creative capacities.

Classical Chinese Medicine

This site features articles, lectures and practical demos by Heiner Fruehauf and a group of likeminded scholars in China and the west, 'committed to transmit the time-honoured science of Eastern medicine as a highly sophisticated and spiritual art form'. From recordings of chants, videos about Daoist medicine and qigong to the latest research about Covid-19, there's some wisdom in here for everyone.

Conspirituality podcast

Controversial, maybe, but that’s why it's important. There’s lots of people talking about lots of these issues – anti-vaccines, Covid hoax stuff etc – so this critical look at the arguments is welcome and could prove useful.

Iyengar Yoga (UK): Covid-19 recovery

Help for ‘long-haulers’ is offered here in the shape of yoga. This suggested recovery plan from the IY(UK) Therapy Committee aims to make the poses as accessible as possible for everyone and uses basic props and furniture.

Breathpod Instagram

Breathwork for better health and performance. Begin every morning – and maybe aid recovery – with Stuart Sandeman’s daily guided breathing exercises.

Why not share your favourite online resources with other members by sending a link to WebWatch via editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Qing Zhang Member: Hampshire Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) offer what have become routine treatments for subfertility, despite their variable success rates. Some women have multiple cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), especially those with complicated underlying conditions.

Many women turn to acupuncture and herbs for support during ART as there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating their benefits – from increasing the chances of getting pregnant to preventing miscarriage.

For nearly 30 years I have been treating fertility patients with acupuncture and herbs. My practice is based close to a fertility clinic and I regularly treat women who are having ART at the clinic. As the evidence base grew and patients talked about their experience of having acupuncture and herbs, the clinic gynaecologists began seeing how my treatment gave a better chance of success in IVF or IUI. Now and for over ten years, the clinic often refers their more complicated cases to me before they embark on an IVF cycle.

One such case was S, a 43-year-old single woman who’d been trying to conceive for a few years. Her first visit in August 2018 came after two failed cycles of IVF. She had embarked on her first IVF cycle in 2017 using both donor eggs and sperm. The following year her second IVF cycle culminated in two embryos being transferred, but sadly the cycle was unsuccessful.

S’s menstrual cycle had stopped when she was 40 years old. It was her early menopause and low antiMüllerian hormone (AMH) levels which steered her to embarking on IVF with donor eggs. She had started hormone replacement therapy (HRT) a year prior to starting IVF. On HRT her menstrual cycle was bimonthly, with a light flow which lasted two days. The colour was dark and menstruation had been very painful.

S had a history of lymphoedema with swollen legs and feet for over twenty years. On arrival at my clinic her legs and feet were so swollen that she couldn’t put her shoes on fully. In her twenties S had been overweight at nineteen stone, and although she had since lost nine stone, she’d simultaneously started to develop very swollen legs. Despite no clear diagnosis, S explained that she’d had an operation ten years previously which hadn’t helped. Now, she visited the lymphoedema nurse once every six days to be provided with support stockings. No prescribed medication had helped.

Other significant aspects of her systems were that her urine was scanty, she had loose stools and a bloated abdomen. She looked pale and puffy and often felt tired and stressed. Her tongue was pale, swollen with teeth-marks, had a white greasy furry coating, with dark blood vessels underneath. Her pulse was slow and slippery, with very weak pulses in the chi (kidney) position.

According to TCM theory, the differentiation of syndrome was that S had both spleen and kidney deficiency, with retention of dampness. She also had weakness and disharmony in the penetrating and conception vessels. My treatment principle was to invigorate spleen qi, boost kidney yang, clear dampness, release liver stagnation and clear blood stasis. I also focused on nourishing and harmonising the penetrating and conception vessels.

I made dietary recommendations to reduce dampness and support fertility, as well as other lifestyle suggestions such as relaxation exercises.

S lived far away from the clinic and this, together with financial constraints, meant that she could only come for treatment once every two weeks. After the initial six sessions, she could only commit to monthly treatments and then once at the time of her embryo transfer.

In the initial three treatments, I used traditional acupuncture points such as SP 6 san yin jiao, SP 9 yin ling quan and ST 40 feng long, based on my pattern differentiation. However, her response was not obvious. I realised that her spleen and kidney yang were so weak

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020 and had been for a long time – her periods had stopped for over two years – that I needed to use some stronger stimulation and techniques.

I started to use Bo’s method of abdominal acupuncture, which involves applying needles according to the abdominal meridian system developed by Dr Zhiyun Bo. With many points around the navel mapping the whole body, this treatment is particularly useful for tonifying kidney and spleen yang in fertility patients. For S, I used REN 12 zhong wan, REN 10 xia wan, REN 6 qi hai, REN 4 guan yuan 引气归元, ST 28 shui dao 水道,zi gong xue (extra), REN 9 shui fen 水 分 and Abdominal Four Gates 腹四关 (ST 24 hua rou men and ST 26 wai ling). These points also supported her uterus and ovaries, to improve the function of her reproductive organs and her endometrial receptivity. I used scalp acupuncture on DU 20 bai hui and the si shen cong (extra), to calm her mind and regulate her jing 精, qi 气, and shen 神.

I supplemented this treatment with Dr Zhonghua Fu’s subcutaneous needling technique. This is a relatively new technique using modified needles to stimulate areas near to trigger points of hypersensitive muscles. It is very effective for musculoskeletal conditions and even internal conditions.

Although it is powerful, it can be painful as the needles are bigger than usual. I chose some local points which are indicated as diuretic for S’s swollen legs.

As S couldn’t come regularly for treatment, I also suggested she use self-treatment at home – moxa on her lower abdomen and the yin channels of her legs and some self-massage.

The acupuncture treatments were supplemented with Chinese herbs: jin kui shen qi pian, wu ling san, gui zhi fu ling wan, and tao hong si wu tang. I prescribed concentrated herbal powder, five grams each time, twice daily.

These treatments proved to be very effective. S would pass lots of water straight after each treatment, her swollen legs and feet improved immediately, and she was once again able to wear her shoes. She felt more energetic and relaxed after each treatment. Her menstrual cycle improved – the flow lasted longer, the

colour was brighter, and it was less painful. Best of all, her gynaecologist was pleased and decided she was ready to start her IVF cycle and she waited for her donor eggs.

In July 2019 she started her final cycle of IVF and I wasn’t able to use Chinese herbs for her anymore, due to the IVF medication she was taking. She had a couple of monthly acupuncture treatments and by September 2019, she was pregnant.

She had a full-term pregnancy and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

To sum up, in my experience medical practitioners such as gynaecologists are referring complex ART cases for integrated treatments with acupuncture and herbs.

Complicated subfertility patients may have multiple pathogenic causes, and for their treatments to be effective, I go through a thorough syndrome differentiation and treat using a combination of different acupuncture techniques and Chinese herbs. Some women have been through multiple cycles of ART and are mentally and physically exhausted.

Acupuncture and herbs can help to regulate heart and liver qi, calm the shen, and help them relax, regulate and harmonise their jing 精, qi 气, and shen 神 in preparation for conception.

Best of all, her gynaecologist was pleased and decided she was ready to start her IVF cycle

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Why the turtles?

In wintertime, the energy draws inwards and the stilling of the water invites reflection.

The water element also represents the wisdom of elderhood, along with the thread of jing that connects us through lineage and ancestry. All this is represented in traditional Chinese symbolism by the image of the black turtle, ruler of the northern quadrant of the sky.

The tribulations of 2020 have certainly left many of us keenly feeling the need for the kind of wisdom that only emerges with long experience. 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the BAcC, and at the beginning of the year we had thought it would be an opportunity for lavish celebration.

But just as the leaves fall away in winter, revealing the bare branches of the tree, hard times reveal what is essential and what can be discarded.

So it is that, at the end of this strangest of years, we have turned to our own 'elders' for their thoughts on the journey the BAcC has taken so far, and the path that lies ahead.

Throughout this issue, you will see articles by some of the most longstanding members and contributors to the BAcC, each identified by our special turtle icon. Not all of them agree with each other, and none of them make any claims to unique insight. But we hope that you find their perspectives inspiring, interesting and thought-provoking, and that taking the 'long view' helps to carry us all through into 2021 ready for new challenges ahead.

Steve Wheeler Editorial Team Chair

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Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Evidence base Overseas member and recovering scientist Lisa Sherman selects top abstracts of the season from the Journal of Chinese Medicine's news section to keep you up to date with the latest in acupuncture research

Lisa Sherman Overseas Member: North Carolina RESEARCH

Acupuncture arthritic neck pain

Four weeks of acupuncture treatment can alleviate cervical spondylosis (CS)-related neck pain and improve quality of life, with effects persisting for a minimum of three months. Eight hundred and ninety-six patients were randomised by Chinese researchers to receive optimised, shallow, or sham acupuncture. Treatment in the optimised acupuncture group consisted of traditional acupuncture (at bilateral SI 15 jian zhong shu, TH 3 zhong zhu, DU 14 da zhui and two bilateral pairs of M-BW-35 hua tuo jia ji points), followed by intradermal needle therapy (INT, at bilateral SI 15 jian zhong shu, and two bilateral pairs of M-BW-35 hua tuo jia ji points).

Those in the shallow acupuncture received subcutaneous needling at the same points as in the OAG, followed

by INT using the same method as in the OAG. Sham acupuncture was carried out using shallow needling at sham points. Patients received eight to ten treatment sessions, two to three times a week, for four weeks.

At week 4, significant differences in favour of optimised acupuncture were observed for changes in neck pain scores between the OAG and both the shallow and sham acupuncture groups. The differences in scores between the OAG and the shallow and sham acupuncture groups were still significant at week 16.

Optimized acupuncture treatment (acupuncture and intradermal needling) for cervical spondylosis-related neck pain: a multicenter randomized controlled trial Pain. 2020 Sep 14

Acupuncture better than drugs for IBS

Acupuncture may be more effective than drug treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to research carried out in China. Five hundred and thirty-one patients with IBS were randomised to receive acupuncture or pharmacological treatment (PEG 4000 20 g/d, for IBS-C, and pinaverium bromide 150 mg/d, for IBS-D) over a six-week period, followed by a twelve-

week follow-up. Acupuncture (at DU 20 bai hui, M-HN-3 yin tang, and bilateral LIV 3 tai chong, ST 36 zu san li, SP 6 san yin jiao, ST 25 tian shu and ST 37 shang ju xu) was carried out three times a week for six weeks (18 sessions). From baseline to week 6, total IBS symptom scores decreased by 123.51 in the acupuncture group and 94.73 in the drug treatment group, and these between-group differences in symptom scores in favour of acupuncture were found to persist at week 18. These results suggest that acupuncture is more effective than drug treatment for IBS, and results in clinically meaningful benefits, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks.

Effect of Acupuncture in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Mayo Clin Proc. 2020 Aug;95(8):1671-83

Acupressure helps gut recover after C-section

Postoperative acupressure can help with the recovery of the gastrointestinal system (GIS) after caesarean section, report Turkish investigators. A total of 160 primipara pregnant women delivered by caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were randomised into four groups: group 1 received acupressure, group 2 received coffee (three times a day), group 3 chewed sugar-free gum for 15 minutes (six hours post-operation), and group 4 was a control. Participants in the acupressure group received 10 minutes of acupressure at bilateral ST 36 zu san li twice in the postoperative period (1.5 hours and 5 hours after the participant was brought to her room).

The results showed that acupressure led to the occurrence of flatulation and defaecation earlier than did the interventions in the other three groups (coffee, gum-chewing and control groups), and the difference was significant.

Effects of acupressure, gum chewing and coffee consumption on the gastrointestinal system after caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2020 Aug 17;1-8

Acupuncture reduces plantar fasciitis pain

Manual acupuncture (MA) and electroacupuncture (EA) can decrease heel pain and improve function in patients with plantar heel pain syndrome (PHPS). Chinese researchers randomised 92 patients to receive 12 treatment sessions of EA or MA over four weeks with 24 weeks of follow-up. MA was carried out at two ah shi points, plus BL 57 cheng shan, KI 3 tai xi and BL 60 kun lun. EA was performed at the same points (2 Hz for 30 minutes). Treatment responders were defined as patients with at least a 50 per cent reduction from baseline in worst pain intensity experienced during their first steps in the morning.

Both EA and MA appeared to have positive effects, resulting in decreased heel pain and improved plantar function compared with baseline.

In the EA group, 54.8 per cent of patients were classified as responders, compared with 50.0 per cent of the MA group after the four-week treatment, a non-significant difference.

Comparison of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture for patients with plantar heel pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Acupunct Med. 2020 Aug 18;964528420947739

Benefits of acupuncture in menopause are long lasting The beneficial effect of acupuncture on menopause symptoms can last for at least 21 weeks post-treatment, according to a Danish research team.

Data was analysed from a randomised controlled trial where women with moderate to severe menopausal symptoms were offered weekly acupuncture treatment over five consecutive weeks, and randomised to an early intervention group that received treatment immediately and a late intervention group with a six-week delay. Western medical style acupuncture was administered at REN 3 zhong ji, REN 4 guan yuan and bilateral LIV 8 qu quan, SP 6 san yin jiao and SP 9 yin ling quan. A

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020 statistically significant, sustained longterm beneficial effect of acupuncture was found for hot flushes, sweating and sleeping issues, lasting up to 21 weeks post-treatment.

Sustained effects of a brief and standardised acupuncture approach on menopausal symptoms: post hoc analysis of the ACOM randomised controlled trial. Acupunct Med. 2020 Jun 9;964528420920280

Group acupuncture is a valuable treatment for low-income populations with diabetic neuropathy

Acupuncture is a valuable adjunctive treatment for low-income and marginalised populations with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). In addition to reducing pain and improving QOL, acupuncture may offer powerful benefits by increasing patient activation and hope. American researchers conducted a randomised clinical trial of a 12week group acupuncture intervention for PDN which included semistructured qualitative interviews about participants' experiences with PDN and the intervention. They recruited 40 participants from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds from a public hospital and conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a subset of 17 people.

Participants randomised to acupuncture experienced greater decreases in pain compared with usual care as well as improved quality of life. Those who received acupuncture reported being able to decrease reliance on pain medication, improve their sleep and daily function, reduce stress, and engage more with their own self-care. They noted that the acupuncture intervention also gave them hope in the face of their chronic disease.

‘It Gave Me Hope’ Experiences of Diverse Safety Net Patients in a Group Acupuncture Intervention for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy. Health Equity. 2020 May 22;4(1):225-31

Acupuncture better than drugs or surgery for trigeminal neuralgia

Acupuncture appears more effective than pharmacotherapy or surgery for the management of trigeminal neuralgia, and is safer and cheaper to deliver than surgical or pharmacotherapeutic interventions.

British authors compared acupuncture against the current first-line drug treatment (carbamazepine) and the most effective surgery (microvascular decompression – MVD), in a total of 17 studies. Acupuncture had the greatest efficacy of the modalities considered (86.5 per cent) compared to surgery (79.3 per cent) and pharmacotherapy (71.7 per cent). Acupuncture also had fewer reported side effects (22.7 per cent) compared with surgery (25.3 per cent) and pharmacotherapy (88.8 per cent). Acupuncture also had the lowest associated cost; after 5 years, the cost of acupuncture was estimated to be £750, compared to £1507.73 for carbamazepine and £4878.42 for MVD.

Acupuncture was also rated as the least stressful intervention by patients.

Acupuncture in the management of trigeminal neuralgia. Acupunct Med. 2020 Jun 10;964528420924042

Five weeks of acupuncture treatment needed to relieve chronic pain

Acupuncture treatment duration should not be less than five weeks in order to achieve an adequate analgesic effect in chronic pain conditions. An international author team from the UK, USA and China included data from 77 randomised clinical trials involving 8,830 patients in their systematic review. Analysis of response time suggested that a treatment duration of 5 weeks or more was needed to achieve 80 per cent of maximum analgesic effect. Higher analgesic effects for acupuncture were observed when baseline pain intensity was higher, and when pain was located in the neck, shoulder and knee area. Maximum analgesic effects of sham acupuncture and conventional therapy were 22.6 and 15.8 points on a 0-100 scale. The absolute effect of true acupuncture was 26.1 points for low back pain, and 34.9 points for other pain body locations, in patients with a baseline pain intensity of 60 points. To achieve 90 per cent of the maximum effect, the duration of acupuncture treatment should be at least 11 weeks.

The response-time relationship and covariate effects of acupuncture for chronic pain: a systematic review and model-based longitudinal meta-analysis. Eur J Pain. 2020 Jun 13

Moxibustion and acupressure recommended for post-Covid care

Chinese guidelines for discharged patients with Covid-19 most frequently recommend moxibustion and acupressure as home-based nursing interventions. REN 12 zhong wan and ST 36 zu san li were the two most promoted acupuncture points for moxibustion and acupressure interventions for these patients in the five guidelines surveyed.

Home-based traditional Chinese medicine nursing interventions for discharged patients with COVID-19: a rapid review of Chinese guidelines. Integr Med Res. 2020 Sep;9(3):100479

Acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory effects by blocking NF-KB

Acupuncture may exert antiinflammatory effects by acting as an antagonist of the important gene transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-KB), suggest the authors of a review article from China. NF-KB is a protein transcription factor considered to be a regulator of innate immunity.

The NF-KB signalling pathway links pathogenic signals and cellular danger signals thus organising cellular resistance to invading pathogens. NF-KB

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controls transcription of DNA, cytokine production and cell survival, and most of the inflammatory responses caused by infection, inflammatory cytokines, and engagement of antigen receptors are associated with the activation of NF-KB. The authors discuss studies describing acupuncture’s ability to regulate inflammatory disease pathways by inhibiting the NF-KB activation via various biochemical mechanisms including those involving microRNAs, sirtuins, and other intracellular signalling cascade components. Understanding the crosstalk between acupuncture and NFKB may help explain how acupuncture influences inflammatory conditions.

Crosstalk between Acupuncture and NF- KB in Inflammatory Diseases. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jun 8;2020:7924985 With thanks to the Journal of Chinese Medicine

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Treating long Covid in my Japanese acupuncture clinic Marian Fixler Member: London Little did I know when returning to my practice in early July, that some of the first patients to come to my clinic – both existing and new – would be those suffering from long Covid symptoms.

Also known as ‘long-haulers’, these people continue to experience postviral symptoms weeks or even months after first contracting what was thought to be (but not necessarily confirmed) Covid-19. An apt phrase, conjuring up an image of ‘hauling’ oneself around with, at times, tremendous effort and lacking vitality.

Long-haulers include two groups of people affected by the virus: those who experience some permanent damage to their lungs, heart, kidneys, or brain that may affect their ability to function, and those who continue to experience debilitating symptoms despite no detectable damage to these organs.

One of the panel members of the BMJ, discussing long Covid in early September, defined it as: ‘not recovering [for] several weeks or months following the start of symptoms that were suggestive of covid, whether they were tested or not’.

The patients I’ve seen – five female and one male, two in their 50s and four in their 40s – had not been hospitalised and had not had a positive Covid diagnosis, all having contracted the virus in the early spring. They were previously quite healthy, with no chronic illnesses. Their Covid-related symptoms lasted for a few days up to a couple of weeks. By the time they came to see me in the summer, they were still experiencing symptoms at least four months from the time of contracting the virus.

According to scientists involved in the King’s College research, being over 50, female, overweight and having asthma raised the risk of having long Covid, as does having more than five different symptoms. This study estimates that one in twenty people continue to have symptoms for at least eight weeks and one in fifty for more than twelve weeks.

Researchers have been using data from the Covid Symptom Study app, to develop a model that can predict who is most at risk of long Covid based on their age, gender, and count of early symptoms.

The common symptoms my patients experienced included: • fatigue; poor stamina; difficulty breathing; shortness of breath; heavy chest • aches and pains; muscular twitching • headaches; pressure in head; dizziness • brain fog; difficulty concentrating; losing words • loss of sense of smell and taste • anxiety and insomnia As a practitioner of Japanese meridian therapy (MT) and more specifically, Toyohari, (founded by blind practitioners), the primary focus of treatment is on tonification of the most deficient yin meridians in order to re-establish the correct balance of qi and blood.

The four diagnoses – of asking, looking, smelling/listening and touching with final confirmation from the abdomen and pulse – are used to identify and treat the primary pattern of deficiency on the yin meridians.

I have observed that my long Covid patients have all presented with more deficient signs, including weak and deep quality pulses, overall poor lustre to their complexion and skin quality, and debilitating symptoms.

These patients have mostly presented with kidney or liver patterns – with spleen or lung treated on the secondary (controlling cycle) pattern. A kidney pattern involves tonification on kidney and its ‘mother’ lung; a liver pattern involves tonification on liver and its ‘mother’ kidney. The second part of the root treatment addresses imbalance in the yin meridians on the controlling cycle. So, for example, excess on spleen would involve draining technique.

This decision would not be decided on symptoms, but on pulse quality and palpation of the acupuncture point to be treated. The final part of the root treatment treats the yang channels.

As well as the established points indicated for MT patterns (using Nan Jing 69 theory of treating the mother to treat the child), I have found that (as in Nan Jing 68) using metal points – for respiratory symptoms – or earth points – for heavy and achy joints/fatigue/ digestive disturbances – can work more

effectively in some cases.

This initial focus on tonification, strengthens the ‘seiki/zhengqi’ upright qi in order to more effectively expel the ‘jyaki/xieqi’ pathogenic qi from the body. With good needle technique, the jyaki is brought more to the surface in order to apply draining techniques on the affected meridians.

Differentiation is made between pathogenic qi at the qi or in more chronic cases, the blood level, each with their own needle technique. This is a very different approach to TCM which warns about the dangers of tonifying when there is a pathogen present. For further discussions on these differing approach to treatment, I refer you to an article by one of my teachers, Stephen Birch: Acupuncture: How Might the Mechanisms of Treatment Have Contributed to the Diagnosis of ‘Patterns’ and Pattern-based Treatments – Speculations on the Evolution of Acupuncture as a Therapy. Implications for Researchers Many of the lingering and debilitating symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, heaviness on the chest, muscle and body aches and digestive disturbances would be identified in TCM as retained damp or damp cold pathogen. In MT, with its focus on qi regulation, these symptoms can still be addressed and resolved at the same time as strengthening the upright qi of the patient, which, in these cases of long Covid is certainly much needed.

In MT, we also make a distinction between treating the ‘root’ and the ‘branch’ – though somewhat differently to the ben and biao of TCM. Root treatment regulates the qi and blood in the meridians, branch treatment addresses the symptoms. These branch treatments also influence the pulse – thereby continuing to regulate qi and blood but in a more targeted way.

One frequently used branch treatment is direct moxa (aka ‘okyu’ – small halfrice grain pure moxa applied directly to the skin), which is very helpful for chronic conditions. Effectiveness depends on palpating and identifying tight, tender points or indurations.

For respiratory symptoms and cardiac related conditions, as well as anxiety

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020 and insomnia, I look for these on the upper back area – from BL 12 feng men to BL 17 ge shu and the DU points between the spinous processes.

Direct moxa is also applied in combination with polarity agents (copper and zinc) on the eight extra vessel points, to specifically treat the meridians affected – for example LU 7 lei que and KID 6 zhao hai (yin qiao/ ren mai) for respiratory symptoms or P 6 nei guan and SP 4 gong sun (yin wei/ chong mai) for anxiety/palpitations/ digestive disturbances. Direct moxa is not contraindicated in perceived ‘heat’ conditions and is used to treat fevers and has been shown to treat inflammatory conditions – historically it was used to treat TB before the advent of antibiotics. For more detailed discussion about the uses of moxibustion, see Merlin Young’s comprehensive book The Moon over Matsushima: Insights into Moxa and Mugwort.

See also Birch S, Lewith G. ‘Acupuncture research, the story so far’.

In MacPherson H, Hammerschlag R, Lewith G, Schnyer R (eds). Acupuncture Research: Strategies for Building an Evidence Base.

London, Elsevier, 2007:15-35.

One of the first patients I treated for long Covid – a returning patient, female age 46, a make-up artist – described her main symptom like having a ‘massive lasagne sitting on my chest’.

She had also had months of sinus type headaches, brain fog, nausea with no appetite, fatigue and oral thrush.

She experienced anxiety at night and palpitations on exertion. She also experienced a horrible taste in her mouth – a phlegmy mucous taste.

I diagnosed her as a kidney pattern – treating a kidney point and the mother of kidney, a lung point. The secondary pattern was spleen excess, on the controlling cycle. Instead of the usual points indicated for this pattern, I treated the shu stream, earth points – KID 3 tai xi and LU 9 tai yuan (Nan Jing 68, for heaviness and achiness in the joints) – relevant for an earth related imbalance. I chose the metal spleen point, SP 5 shang qiu, with draining

technique. This was the root treatment.

Branch treatment involved using polarity treatment with zinc and copper pellets on LU 7 lie que and KID 6 zhao hai, with direct moxa and some direct moxa on tight points on the upper back – DU 14 da zhui, BL 43 gao huang shu and DU 12 shen zhu (three cones on each). Direct moxa was also used on ST 36 zu san li and DU 23 shang xing (sinus point). The only point where I retained a needle was REN 17 shan zhong.

I use this case as an example as the patient had a really dramatic reaction to treatment. She returned more than two weeks later (no sooner as work commitments had taken her out of London) and described having had

My patient reported that ‘unbelievable amounts of mucus came up’ from her chest

three days of feeling awful that involved expelling huge amounts of phlegm.

Normally I would react to such feedback as indicating that I had exceeded the appropriate dose of treatment for this patient, expecting any worsening of symptoms to last no more than a maximum of 24 hours. However, my patient was delighted! She reported that ‘unbelievable amounts of mucus came up’ from her chest – her brain fog got much clearer, the sinus pressure greatly reduced, she was less fatigued and she could breathe more easily.

Most patients have improved after each treatment, with many symptoms clearing up completely – chest symptoms, dizziness, headaches, digestive complaints, improved appetite. Some cases have been harder to clear – loss of sense of taste and

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smell and headaches come and go and might need other interventions.

The trajectory has mostly been upwards, with steady improvements in vitality and sense of wellbeing. Some of my patients continue to have setbacks, commonly when they have tried to do too much; however, setbacks are generally less severe and shorter. I have just seen the patient I described earlier again, after two and a half months.

She had been doing really well till she caught a cold back in October, when working outdoors. The only symptom to have returned has been the heavy feeling in her chest, which we have just started working on again. She is also having further investigations.

Much is still to be learnt about the long-term effects and damage to internal organs and even the brain.

As practitioners, we have a lot to offer people experiencing these debilitating and frightening chronic symptoms and their emotional effects, not only through our acupuncture treatments – and of course herbs and mushrooms etc – but also with advice and suggestions around diet, lifestyle, and restorative exercise such as qigong.

Interestingly, many of the patients I have seen presenting with long Covid are people who push themselves quite hard, with work and/or physical exertion, for example one is a long-distance swimmer. We can also guide our patients to find the right balance between rest and activity and help them to manage their expectations.

I’ll leave the last words to a GP patient of mine: ‘After the first treatment, I felt immediately calmer and happier, and my symptoms have improved day by day since. My energy levels are better and I’m more able to function day-today. My body felt good after my second session and I feel my heart rate is behaving more normally since I started the treatment. Overall I’m definitely making progress now and I’m hopeful I will make a full recovery in time.’

BAcC Member webinars: Let's talk about... Anxiety: Marian Fixler on tapping away anxiety with emotional freedom technique (EFT)

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Congratulations to the BAcC on its 25th anniversary!

Beverley de Valois BAcC Fellow: Middlesex I do remember attending one of the early AGMs – possibly before I had even qualified – at Regent’s College in London. There were a handful of members there. How things have changed over 25 years. There have been lots of ups and downs and many challenges over that quarter century!

These are the aspects of the BAcC that I have particularly valued.

Research and ARRC

As both a researcher and practitioner, I have valued the BAcC’s commitment to research. The Acupuncture Research Resource Centre (ARRC), set up in 1994 and managed by Mark Bovey since 1998, has maintained a research strategy committed to developing the evidence base for traditional acupuncture. This is much needed. One of its many activities is the annual ARRC symposium, a key event for showcasing acupuncture research. ARRC has offered a wonderful opportunity for me to present research I have been involved in and to find out about the work of others. I have missed very few of these since I began researching in 2000.

The BAcC’s commitment to funding research has been variable over the years. When grants have been available, they have enabled grass roots projects that would not have been possible without such support.

Mark’s professional and personal commitment to supporting members who are interested in research has been invaluable. I can still remember the long email he sent me in 2000, when I was embarking on my research career, detailing the various aspects

of research and what it entailed.

Thank you, Mark, and the BAcC, for supporting acupuncture research.

EJOM

EJOM – the European Journal of Oriental Medicine – is another BAcC resource I particularly value. It ‘aims to stimulate and inspire through informed debate, creative interchange and critical reflection’. As such, it enables practitioners to develop and share information on all aspects of acupuncture – from theory to practice to research and more. EJOM is the first journal I wrote for as a research acupuncturist; it’s where I developed the skills and confidence to write and to publish. I am extremely grateful for the platform it offered to communicate my work, and to read about the ideas and work of colleagues. Many thanks to Jasmine Uddin, Sara O’Neil and the editorial team for the work they do in maintaining such a unique resource.

Supervision

The BAcC has been slow in recognising the importance of supervision as an essential part of the skills development.

Supervision has been a constant in my life as a practitioner, and I have participated in this form of continuing professional development (CPD) faithfully since before I qualified. I am glad to see that supervision and mentoring are now getting more attention and promotion from the BAcC, and being recognised as a vital part of professional development. Thank you to Isobel Cosgrove for her initiative and perseverance.

These three aspects have been

integral to the development of my career as a researcher and practitioner.

I trust that the BAcC will navigate through the chaos caused by Covid-19, and continue to support and develop these vital activities.

I am glad to see that supervision and mentoring are now getting more attention and promotion

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A drop in the ocean Mark Bovey BAcC Fellow: Oxfordshire I learnt acupuncture in a time and place where only one weekend per month of lessons was required, where you could miss all of the conventional medicine teaching but still pass the exam because we were told the questions beforehand, where we had to hand in an extraordinary number of pulses for homework, where teachers smoked in the toilets and watched the horse racing with us in the classroom. And then out into the big, wide world.

Living in Oxfordshire I felt (not exactly brimming with confidence) that the acupuncture market locally was already saturated (this was 1983), so I took up the opportunity to do a day a week in Loughborough, looked after by the wonderful Janie Prince and equally wonderful Isobel Cosgrove. A regional group was just starting in the East Midlands but was well established in Oxford, and in both of those we organised and attended meetings and social events as a matter of course.

For the first 15 years as a practitioner I had nothing to do with acupuncture research, and it didn’t cross my mind that there was anything to do, or even to know. My concerns were about whether I was at all any good as an acupuncturist, and whether I would be able to make a living from it when they finally rumbled me as a pig breeding consultant. Just in time I heard of the vacant Acupuncture Research Resource Centre position at Exeter University and thought that surely health research wasn’t that different from animal breeding research.

Early in the job I was passed a critical piece by one Edzard Ernst, the man who’d left the Complementary Health Centre for the medical school, taking the chair and the endowment cash with him. I spent two days painstakingly assembling arguments to rebut Ernst, only for it to be abandoned as a lost cause. It takes time to develop such skills and the confidence to put yourself

into the firing line.

Twenty-two years later, and Ernst is still around, while some good people have gone. The acupuncture research world is a different place, with evidence thick on the ground. The arch-sceptics might seem now like King Canute, in the face of this tide of evidence, but positions are entrenched and the arguments go round and round.

We can look optimistically at NICE’s endorsement for chronic pain but Covid has shown us still to have a rather fragile existence: though I believe it is stronger than when I first qualified.

Then, we expected to be rather

insignificant players on the national healthcare stage, while now we think we deserve better. There is no automatic right to acceptance and recognition by the authorities, and it can come at the price of loss of independence, as emphasised 20 years ago by epidemiologist and good friend to CAM, Dr David St George, who said we had to stand up to the medics or they would swallow us whole (‘creeping medical imperialism’).

While acupuncturistresearchers strive to convince hearts and minds for the long term, what do their efforts do to move forward our practices? I suspect very few acupuncturists would say that what they do has been changed or improved by research. So this is my vision for the future: that we reach a strong enough place for research to be able to be used to inform practice, rather than to prop us up as being bona fide healthcare professionals. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t come to pass: acupuncture is a very old medicine and aeons of time stretch out before us.

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An alternative medicine Dapeng Zhang Member: London The first lockdown earlier this year affected many holistic medicine practitioners. Acupuncturists were especially affected as we could no longer practice face to face after restrictions on treatments and consultations were enforced. The limitations did not just affect my patients, but also my clinic, my finances, and my mental wellbeing.

As an acupuncturist, the lockdown certainly rocked the boat of my life and business. I was anxious about how my business would survive, how my patients would cope without treatment and what would be next for our industry.

After weeks of uncertainty, I eventually decided to set up online consultations and remote diagnosis after it was approved by the BAcC. I introduced workshops where I showed patients how to do self-acupressure and guided them through the process, as well as teaching some patients how to effectively use moxibustion and auricular acupuncture. I also prescribed herbal medicine to treat Covid-19 symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other health conditions. Furthermore, I supplied self-care packages which included magnetic pellets, ear seeds, moxa sticks and pain relief plasters.

The remote consultations proved extremely effective and it is reassuring to know we have something to fall back on if a second lockdown is enforced. Seeing patients remotely is not only safer, as it helps to prevent the spread of infection and viruses, but I have also found it to be more convenient for busy patients. Teaching my patients how to practise self-treatment has helped deepen their understanding of their treatments and healing. I felt my rapport with patients, and they became keener to book followup consultations.

As part of my treatment plans I also offered Chinese herbs. For severe conditions, I use bespoke

herbal prescriptions. For mild conditions, I have always used standard patent formulas.

However, as many members will know, in 2011 the EU regulation of Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) came into effect and impacted the industry drastically.

All unlicensed ready-made patents became restricted and practitioners had to use tailormade prescriptions, providing limitations that can make Chinese medicine unattractive to patients, such as an unpleasant taste and longer lead times.

After years of struggling to maintain the best practice for my patients, I have been impressed by the new range of Aura Health and Wellbeing Dietary Supplements, and certainly found them well suited to my remote consultations.

Importantly, the range of Chinese herbal remedies are fully registered in the EU as food supplements and recognised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK. The tablet form allows patients to take them easily, rather than having to decoct herbs or drink concentrated granules and, because they are premade, I can store them in my clinic and provide them to my patients as and when they are needed to offer immediate treatment. Offering ready-made formulas also gives acupuncturists like me a new revenue stream at a time when we face more restrictions on our practice.

I believe that this pandemic has taught us that Chinese medicine is now needed more than ever. With the help of modern technology, we can offer a holistic solution, unlike many other health practices.

Although the next few months are looking extremely uncertain, one thing is certain – we practitioners will try our best to practise as safely and effectively as possible.

Kori gassi Jonquil Westwood Pinto Member: East Sussex ENERGETICS

Long slow cooking and spices give this Mangalorean chicken dish lots of thermal warmth, balanced by the cool coconut and sour tamarind. For more coolness serve with natural yoghurt.

Ingredients

10 chicken thighs on the bone 2 Tbsp turmeric 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 2-4 dried red chillies 2 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 2-3 Tbsp olive oil 4 sliced onions 5 garlic cloves (crushed) 3 cm ginger root, peeled and sliced 1.5-2 litres water 150 ml coconut milk/cream 1 Tbsp tamarind pulp/paste

Method

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and turmeric and leave for around 30 minutes.

In a dry pan, gently warm all the dried whole spices until the aromas release, then grind to a rough powder.

In a deep pan, warm the oil and fry the onions on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the ground spices, crushed garlic and sliced ginger and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces, stir until coated, then add just enough water to cover them.

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 90 minutes or until the chicken is tender and loose on the bone. Remember to stir occasionally and add extra water if needed.

Spoon off excess oil from the surface of the sauce.

Before serving add coconut milk/cream and tamarind, stir and cook through for 5 minutes.

Serve with brown basmati rice or chapattis.

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Some thoughts on intuition Felicity Moir BAcC Fellow: London ‘Without intuition, imagination, or esthetics, the “scientist” is a dullard.

Without rationality, discipline, or logic, the “artist” is a dawdler.’

Clinical Judgement, Feinstein (1967) What are the strategies we use to synthesise the information received from patients into one or more diagnoses for treatment and treatment planning? We use deductive and inductive reasoning but where does the role of intuition come in?

Words for intuition vary depending on the context, with the following found in the medical education literature: • tacit knowing (as described in The Tacit Dimension, Polanyi, 1966) • reasoning that is difficult to access or explain • unconscious inductive reasoning • non-analytical or understanding without a rationale • clinical wisdom • knowledge that functions at the periphery of attention • knowledge that has become habitual through repetitive practice • gut feelings or hunches • a mystical human capacity Stolper et al’s paper – ‘Gut feelings as a third track in general practitioners' diagnostic reasoning’ (2011) – explains intuition as the outcome of highly personalised knowledge-based, nonanalytical processes that may help physicians deal with the complexity of the tasks they face. Like all knowledge, intuition is neither inerrant nor completely unreliable; knowledge is always contingent and embodied. The same information can function either tacitly or explicitly depending on how the clinician directs her focus, thus some underlying tacit component is always present in our clinical reasoning. Tacit reasoning is not a tool or method clinicians can use, nor is it an alternative to explicit medical knowledge.

According to Professor Greenhalgh in her article ‘Intuition and evidence – uneasy bedfellows?’ (2002), intuition should not be considered unscientific.

It is a highly creative process, fundamental to hypothesis generation.

Much more sensory information impinges upon us than can ever be

comprehended and these sensory impressions are unconsciously integrated and form the basis for intuitive judgment and action. The value of an intuition, however, lies not in its accuracy, but in its ability to intrude itself into consciousness (‘Clinical intuition: more than rationale?’

Brokensha, 2002). The experienced practitioner should generate and follow clinical hunches as well as (not instead of) applying deductive principles. Sennett, in his seminal work The Craftsman (2008), proposes that there is a constant interplay between tacit knowledge and self-conscious awareness, the tacit knowledge serving as the anchor, the explicit awareness serving as critique and corrective. Tacit knowledge is information distinctive to individual patients and particular clinical details that may be crucial for therapeutic decisions.

Henry’s discussion on ‘Polanyi's tacit knowing and the relevance of epistemology to clinical medicine’ (2010), presents concern that practitioners who justify clinical decisions with vague appeals to ‘the art of medicine’ or ‘gut feelings’ can misunderstand the advantages and pitfalls that reliance on the tacit dimension entails. We are vulnerable to the influences of ‘unrecognized theoretical ghosts’ that unknowingly shape our thoughts and actions.

Tacit knowledge is often seen as unreliable and biased and incapable of exposing false conclusions about treatment efficacy. Schon’s concern in The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action (1983) is that those who often present their knowledge as being intuitive can tend to close down further discussion while

the aim must be to attempt to make explicit the personal and subjective dimension.

While unreliable because of its fallibility, intuition is nonetheless indissociable from the clinical context. Given that our intuition is not perfect and that rational analytic thought can be too time consuming, when should we trust our clinical intuition and when is a more systematic rational approach needed?

The aim of developing our clinical skills must be to temper the problems of intuition and improve and supplement this non-analytic reasoning process. We develop intuitive reasoning through extensive experience of treating individual patients along with systematic critical reflection about the judgements we form. Error-checking strategies, such as ‘thinking of other possibilities’ or ‘thinking of other ways to interpret the data’ that build on the initial diagnosis are key for Norman et al (‘Non-analytical models of clinical reasoning: the role of experience’, 2007).

Greenhalgh also recommends creative writing and dialogue with professional colleagues as essential.

We are vulnerable to the influences of ‘unrecognized theoretical ghosts’

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Further points of contact As a follow-up to our Points of Contact feature back in the summer, this time we reached out to several overseas members in countries where the lockdown has been lighter. Here's a flavour of how it's been for three of them.

Lockdown… what lockdown?

Michael Maynard Overseas Member: Sweden

In March, as other countries – including our Nordic neighbours – came to a standstill, Sweden decided to buck the lockdown trend and adopt a light-touch approach towards the coronavirus pandemic. The main thrust of the Swedish government’s strategy was voluntary cooperation and individual responsibility, relying on the high level of trust placed in public authorities here. There were recommendations and guidelines rather than strict rules.

We were asked rather than ordered to practise social distancing, wash our hands, avoid non-essential travel and work from home. Schools remained open for pupils under the age of 16 and public gatherings of up to 50 people were allowed. The government stated that the aim of its approach was the same as in other countries, ie slow down the spread of the virus and flatten the curve so that health services were not

overwhelmed. It was just that its route for getting there was different. ‘Herd immunity’ was rarely mentioned and was regarded as a by-product rather than a goal of the Swedish strategy.

But what did all this mean on the ground? The advice provided by both the Swedish Acupuncture Association (Svenska Akupunkturförbundet) and the Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten) was fairly basic, ie for the sick, vulnerable and elderly to stay at home and anyone with a respiratory infection should not come for treatment. There were no guidelines on how to treat patients when social distancing was not possible, other than being extra vigilant about hygiene.

I realised that I would have to decide for myself whether or not to continue practising. I decided that I would remain open for patients who felt they needed treatment. As it turned out, my regular – mainly elderly – patients dutifully cancelled their appointments one by one, because the government’s advice for the over 70s had been to selfisolate. Then for the next three months

I had no patients at all, not even a single enquiry.

As there had been no official blanket lockdown, the government did not offer any one-off cash handouts. Some measures were introduced – such as a salary compensation scheme for furloughed employees and easier access to loans plus delayed tax and VAT payments for larger companies – but this was not much help to me as a sole trader. Fortunately, I have another income stream from translation and editing work so that kept me afloat during this lean period.

Patients returned in the summer and business finally started to pick up again in the early autumn. However, a recent increase in the number of cases has resulted in more local restrictions, including not mixing with other households. There are still no clear guidelines on how to practise and the wearing of face masks is not officially recommended outside hospitals.

I’ve decided that I will continue to offer treatments until I’m officially told to stop practising.

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Health is wealth Yvette Masure Overseas Member: Portugal

‘Find the opportunity in adversity’ – so said Lao Tsu. During this year’s intermittent Covid-19 lockdowns, some by necessity have stayed isolated, or indeed, some have chosen to do so. I am one of those. Located in southern Portugal, as we have not had such lengthy lockdowns, I have had that choice more than most in the UK and Europe. I have chosen to embrace this opportunity.

One patient said to me, when I did not embrace her as she left and on saying goodbye, ‘Yvette, are you scared?’ I did not feel the fear, to say yes. I found myself saying, ‘It is wise to be cautions, and share love in our eyes and hearts, for now.’ But on reconsidering later, I thought yes, I am scared.

Being one of the five emotions, I believe that fear has its place, in a balanced measure and along with the other four. I will also say I think stress is more of a killer than Covid-19.

It’s winter and kidney qi time in the water element – fears can grow. We could rebalance this with the fire element, and heart qi and the emotions of joy, and gratitude for life and living and the abundance we do have, rather than the losses we may fear. But how?

Personally, I find I have used the time this lockdown has given me to develop my self-healing techniques and therapies – so practising more of what I preach in my clinics: qigong, mindfulness meditation, calligraphy, various art forms, and healthy eating coupled with exercise, thoughtful reading… then even laughter therapy when things got tough with travel restrictions and family separation. And dancing to my favourite music, I found long lost nostalgic time-lapsed musical memories extremely invigorating and uplifting.

All these aspects of our shared lives that we usually take for granted can still be extremely satisfying, even alone. We can be alone but not lonely. Even meditation is a fullness, not a lonely empty act – it’s all about our perspective on things. There are good and bad days – as night and day, yin and yang. It’s a natural cycle that keeps changing, if we allow ourselves to just be present and flow with it. The changes naturally come, in the flow.

So something I had found elusive most of my working life was given to me – time. And like many, I have found it is priceless.

And yes, we do now pay the financial price. However, for some 25 years of practice my motto and logo has always been ‘health is wealth’, and this pandemic has proved my point.

Life is a river, and Daoism a way of life and living. Not a religion or even a philosophy. Wisdom is born through reflecting on the natural order of things, and nature’s way. To be aware or ultimately in tune with that, we do need to slow down and find the space within time. In ourselves. That’s what I found anyway, when I had time to find some space.

As Lao Tsu commented, ‘When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be’. These reflective times allow us to see the difference between knowledge and wisdom, to develop that which needs to grow.

As for my patients and clients, I was able t o continue with my fertility patients, under the protective triage cover and BAcC safety guidelines (thank you again, BAcC).

But treatment of facial revitalisation (FRA) clients had to stop, unfortunately. Unfortunate because people come for acupuncture, even FRA, for many reasons, often not for the ones they think. And they can benefit wholeheartedly.

I find that even FRA can be all embracing, with both body and facial points. And it brings a larger diversity of clients, allowing for preventive treatment rather than the ‘last hope’ scenario we are often challenged with.

Of course, we cannot do anything without mentioning love, heartfelt from our second brain, and the joy of new life. The children, in a nutshell. Let us be wise and do what enables them to live well, as we already have.

Practice

17

That long pause Bridget Hunter Overseas Member: New Zealand

In March, the lockdown in New Zealand came hard and fast. We had very little time to prepare as we went from level 2, briefly into level 3 for something like 48 hours, and then slam – level 4 complete lockdown took our breath away. The silence was incredible. A part of me felt very relieved to have this massive, compulsory pause for what was initially planned to be four weeks.

The weekend before I had been celebrating my daughter’s third birthday and we spent time with friends at the WOMAD festival. A blue-skied, warm, late summer weekend full of world music, dance, food and freedom. There were tiny changes in the air, like encouraging hand washing and not attending if feeling unwell. But we felt a million miles from what was about to happen.

When I left my clinic on the Tuesday afternoon, I was intending to be back the following morning. That all changed overnight and by Thursday we were completely shut down nationwide. It happened so fast, that the nation seemed to go into collective shock. We had no time to prepare and make sure friends and family were ready for such a situation As the news sunk in, I spent a lot of time on the telephone and writing messages to those patients that would be feeling anxious or vulnerable. I had many women about to go into labour, disabled patients that come weekly to stay pain free and independent, and elderly who had no family in their bubble.

Over the next few weeks, there was a fair amount of debate over what might be deemed ‘essential services’, and ‘telehealth’ became a much used word in conversation. I work with a group of osteopaths, physiotherapists, massage therapists and Pilates instructors. We started having Zoom meetings. It was interesting to compare notes on how the different regulation boards, the Ministry of Health and ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) were taking action (or inaction) over the care of patients.

Our lockdown was extended from four to six weeks at level 4, then a further two weeks at level 3. We were not able to open until level 2. By then, we were very keen to get back to the clinic.

It felt unusual going back with all the changes to practice in place. I recall feeling it was a little like the twilight zone. Patients were sent screening forms, followed by a telephone call to confirm they were well. They were asked to remain outside in their cars until just moments before their appointment. We had 15 minutes between all patients so that rooms could be cleaned.

Contactless payment was encouraged. We no longer had complimentary water and fruit in reception. And the magazines were also removed. We all had fabric and disposable masks on hand, but only used them if our patients asked us to, or we felt they might be vulnerable. I have not worn a mask yet.

About four weeks after returning to work, we moved to level 1 and have remained there ever since. Only the Auckland region moved back to level 3, briefly and just for long enough to perhaps encourage the nation to take things seriously.

Initially we had been worried about whether patients would still come for less essential treatments, but that did not last long. I was soon booked out several weeks in advance with a waiting list. It seemed that more people than ever wanted to address all kinds of health concerns, and also just to take care of themselves and their families. That long pause gave us all the space to still our minds and think about what – and who – was really important to us.

Today, several months down the track, the lockdown does seem quite some time ago. New Zealand is Covid-free and we are all hoping it remains so. I am grateful for the way our prime minister has handled the situation. Our tiny nation cannot afford to go through lockdown again. Many businesses have closed. We miss tourism, and hospitality has been hit very hard. The true impact is yet to be felt as we continue to rebuild and adapt to the situation at large.

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Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Just my point DU 4 Peter Firebrace BAcC Fellow: Denmark It’s the start of November and a little cold in the kitchen when I get up, but that’s soon remedied by lighting the fire and within minutes the chill disappears and my attitude to the dull, grey day outside is transformed by those flickering, dancing orange flames.

The fire is higher than normal, at table height, so as I stand with my back to it, my lumbar area is suffused with a deep warmth and comforting glow.

A breakfast heat treatment on DU 4 ming men 命 門 Gate of Destiny – what a perfect way to start a wintry day! Those without access to a fire should consider buying a Japanese haramaki (literally ‘belly wrap’), a band of material that wraps around the waist area, thereby warming and supporting both the lower back and the lower dan tian, cinnabar field, at the front, helping to ward off the cold in chilly mortals, outdoor workers, pregnant women and the elderly.

DU 4 ming men lies at a crucial juncture in the low back, below the second lumbar vertebra, where deep within, the spinal cord begins its upward journey to the brain high above. This strategic region provides flexibility to the lumbar area, so key for twisting and turning, bending and stretching, movements that are so easy for the young and more challenging for the old.

It is therefore one of the most effective points for low back problems, pain, stiffness and sciatica.

Here, in this central and unifying

position between the two kidneys – left kidney and right kidney, yin kidney and yang kidney, water kidney and fire kidney – lies this unique and powerful place that connects and combines the two. This regenerative and restorative point nourishes the brain in the treatment of vertigo, tinnitus and involuntary shaking of the head above, while relighting the life-warming fire of ming men (ming men huo 命 門 火) below. Source of the triple heater and of minister fire, xiang huo 相 火, ming men complements and assists the sovereign fire, jun huo 君 火, of the heart.

Classically indicated for overheating, ‘body hot like fire’, DU 4 is also a wonderful point with moxa in deep cold, weakness and exhaustion, particularly geriatric tiredness and backache, often combined with nearby BL 23 shen shu 腎 兪, the back shu point of the kidneys. This ability to warm and increase kidney yang is a key aspect of the point, not only for the elderly, but also in sterility and impotence from cold, leading to no erection and premature ejaculation in men – treated for example with KID 2 ran gu 然 谷 Blazing Valley, REN 6 qi hai 氣 海Sea of Qi and LI 5 yang xi 陽 谿 Yang Ravine.

In women this deep cold leads to irregular menses and leucorrhea – treated for example with REN 3 zhong ji 中 極 Central Pole, REN 4 guan yuan 關 元 Origin Pass and GB 26 dai mai 帶 脈.

We see here the connection between du

mai and dai mai, which is often used for discharges. It is no surprise then that DU 4’s secondary name is jing gong 精 宮, Palace of Essence, a name it shares with BL 52 zhi shi 志 室 Will Chamber at the same level in this potent area. With its powerful support of the jing essence, it helps in the creation of new life, as well as guarding against decline in old age.

DU 4’s name is ming men 命 門, Gate of Destiny, and destiny is traditionally accomplished by following one’s proper nature xing 性, so fulfilling who we are.

Destiny, ming 命, is related primarily to the kidneys, and proper nature, xing 性, primarily to the heart, giving us yet another link between these two deepacting organs and the interplay between fire and water. The expression ming men is used to indicate various locations in the body – the lower dan tian cinnabar field, the navel, the kidneys, the right kidney, and sometimes the nose or the eyes, all places concerned with the

The classic of difficulties Guiltiest pleasure

Steve Seagal movies and the occasional second martini

Favourite song lyric

In this world where we live, there should be more happiness So much joy you can give to each brand new bright tomorrow

Desert island disc

Radiohead’s The Bends

Desert island film

High Society. Bing! Grace! Frank! I mean seriously, what a swell party

Desert island book

A Room with a View by EM Forster I read and reread this book, it’s perfect

Hero/heroine

Frida Kahlo was the most remarkable woman and had a strong eyebrow game

If you weren’t an acupuncturist what would you be doing?

Hmm, a Mexican wrestler, drag queen or midwife

Superpower of choice

Definitely flying. Sometimes I do when I’m asleep and it’s glorious

A one-way ticket to…

15th century Venice

Which word/phrase do you overuse?

No it’s not morning yet, go back to bed

Fantasy dinner party guests

Stanley Tucci on cocktails, Marina Hyde, Caitlin Moran, Louis Theroux and Helena Bonham Carter. I reckon that would be a very lively table

What’s your diagnosis?

You’ve forgotten who you really are

Worst nightmare

Living in a country with no seasons. I love how they mark the turn of the year and I need all five! emergence and maintenance of life.

It is interesting to note that in the pathways of the du mai there are two going to the kidneys and ming men area in the low back, one from the eyes above and one from the perineum below, and in addition, that DU 4 is the anchor of the dai mai that encircles the waist area. DU 4 ming men is then a major crossing point of the vertical and horizontal axes of the body, contributing to its deep-seated and regenerative actions.

A heartwarming case to end with: I remember with great affection Ena, a patient of mine in her nineties, who would make the long journey on buses and trains from her home on the outskirts of London to my clinic in the centre of town. Unsteady on her feet, she needed a seat on the train, but the one reserved for the elderly and infirm was taken up by a large and intimidating character, immersed in

listening to music on his headphones.

Uncowed by the prospect of conflict or rejection, she politely indicated she was in need of the seat. And when he persisted in ignoring her, Ena simply sat down on his lap, much to his embarrassment and the delighted amusement of the other passengers!

Dogged and intrepid, Ena seemed to embody that fearless power of the kidneys that ensures you stand up to the world – or in this particular case, sit down! She always looked forward to her monthly treatments – massage, moxa and needles centred around the area of DU 4 and the kidneys – and told me they definitely alleviated her joint stiffness and pain and kept up her energy. Always bright and cheery, I treated her for over 25 years and she died aged 100. Sun Simiao would have approved!

One bed or multibed?

One bed

What’s your animal?

My daemon would be an impala (if you haven’t read His Dark Materials do so immediately). Or possibly a goat.

Probably a goat.

What has life taught you?

Everyone has a story, and in everyone there’s something to love

Tell us a joke

A Scotsman walks into a baker’s and says (Scottish accent required), ‘is that a doughnut or a meringue?’ And the baker says, ‘no you were right the first time son, it’s a doughnut’

What question do you wish you had been asked?

Desert Island Dinner? Burrata salad, pappardelle with wild boar ragu, and lemon sorbet

Claire Dabreo Member: London

20

Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

REVIEW I approached Singing Dragon’s new publication with a sense of trepidation.

My experience of ‘shamanism’ in the West, with a few noble exceptions, has primarily consisted of reconstructed pseudo-traditions of neo-paganism promising to make you a bona fide medicine man (or woman) in a handful of weekends, so it seemed likely that, in this book, I was going to encounter an ill-advised melange of traditional Chinese medicine and various flavours of New Age delusion. I was steeling myself to have to pen a scathing critique, heaping particular opprobrium on the tendency to mix elements of other traditions and practices into traditional Chinese medicine rather than doing the hard work of simply becoming a better practitioner of the art as it exists.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover, then, that the ‘shamanism’ Mr Holman is referring to is that of the ancient Wu people of China, arguing that they were the original source of much of the Chinese medicine that was later developed and elaborated. While Holman acknowledges that his use of the term is broad, and his choice of it contentious, he justifies it as a means ‘to engage the reader in recognising the spiritual roots of Chinese medicine – to bring back the spirit elements of the medicine to treat people with both physical and spiritual methods’.

By ‘shaman’, he explains, he means ‘one who aligns with the universal energy, observes the rhythms of nature, extrapolates the connections between the natural world and body physiology, works with shen to bring health and healing, and teaches this universal

wisdom to others’. This is a description that many of us, particularly those schooled in more classical schools, will recognise as our own ideal of a practitioner, and in the case of this reviewer he is very much preaching to the converted.

There can be no doubt that the practices of the Wu people were one important stream of influence on the creation of Chinese medicine.

Holman explicitly acknowledges that, in placing such an emphasis on it, he is influenced by his teacher, Zhongxian Wu, by whom many of us will have had the pleasure of being instructed in qigong at BAcC conferences or elsewhere.

But Holman also outlines some of the archaeological and textual evidence for viewing the development of Chinese medicine through this lens, pointing out that many ideas that may, through long use, have come to seem almost mundane to practitioners can also be interpreted as part of the ‘shamanic’ cosmology that first informed the medicine.

He notes, for example, that the term

‘ling’, as in the title of the Ling Shu, is usually translated by the somewhat dry and abstract term ‘spiritual’, but that the character contains the radical for shaman, and can be interpreted overall as a shaman reciting an incantation to summon rain.

The second chapter continues this theme, detailing in short, simple sections how the ideas of yin and yang, the five phases, the numerology of the six divisions and the twelve animals can all be seen as aspects of an older, wilder form of worldview, rooted in the direct experience of the natural world and spiritual practices. This is followed by chapters on the healing space, diagnosis, treatment, (a brief overview of) stems and branches, and a selection of case studies from the ‘shamanic’ perspective.

Holman writes clearly and well, peppering well-structured prose with just enough colour and verve to keep the reader’s interest, even through those passages that, for a trained practitioner, may not contain much that is new. On the wood element, for example: ‘New life emerges in the springtime. Plants burst through the soil, growing upward to the light, like a green dragon breaking free from the rocks to soar among the mists and clouds… The push of a sprout through the soil is like thunder, shaking the soil and signalling change.’

It is precisely this kind of poetic, imagistic symbolism that is at the heart of classical medicine, of course, providing a way of seeing patterns in the flux of matter that the linear mind might overlook; and it is appropriate that a book calling us back to the ancient roots of our medicine itself be aesthetically pleasing. This book is indeed beautifully produced and illustrated, with the fullcolour charts and photos proving particularly useful in discussion of facial and tongue analysis.

Inevitably, there are elements here that some will struggle with, and not all of the techniques discussed are ‘shamanic’ only in the broader sense: discussion of energetically cleansing the healing space using rattle and drum, for example, of treatment through chanting, or of remote

We come face to face with our old bugbear, the issue of Authority in the Chinese medicine world

BAcC Member webinars: Let's talk about... Long Covid: CT Holman on Treating emotional trauma with Chinese medicine - parts 1&2

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020 qi healing may not find favour with all practitioners; not only those who prefer acupuncture to be thought of as a physical, evidence-based modality, but also those already committed to a ‘spiritually-informed’ style of Chinese medicine but who would not recognise all of these techniques as part of the classical canon.

In this, we come face to face once more with our old bugbear, the issue of Authority in the Chinese medicine world. Even if we accept the reality of the more shamanic forms of treatment, to whom do we turn to learn them as authentic, effective and replicable skills? The Chinese arts are notoriously eclectic, and in the absence of a clear line of authority – there is no Pope of Daoism to issue decisive edicts on these issues (thank goodness, some might say) – we are left to try different teachers almost at random in the hope of finding someone we feel we can follow. In one sense, Holman’s position is refreshingly clear and open in this regard: he is a student of Master Wu, he believes in the authenticity and effectiveness of Master Wu’s teachings, and on that foundation his practice, and his writing, are largely based. The rest of us must decide for ourselves whether that is sufficient basis to go along with everything contained in his book.

Regardless of whether we take some of the content with a pinch of salt – be it through scepticism or through allegiance to an alternative lineage of classical treatment – there is still plenty here to stimulate thought, to fire discussion, and to encourage practical exploration of the ‘shamanic’ side of Chinese medicine.

For those who feel called to include a little more of the shamanic in their practice, those already engaged in this style of treatment, or those who are merely curious about the ancient roots of acupuncture, Holman’s work will make a welcome addition to their bookshelf.

Steve Wheeler Member: Mid-Wales

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Inspiration

21

Zhi CHINESE LESSON

Sandra Hill Acupuncturist & Author: London In certain lists and tables of five phase correspondences, we find five virtues – and the virtue associated with water, winter and the kidneys is wisdom (zhi 智).

According to Suwen chapter 2, which gives us the resonances of the qi through the four seasons: ‘The three months of winter are called closing and storing. Water freezes, earth cracks; there is no more influence from the yang… exerting the will (zhi 志) as if buried, as if hidden within oneself, intent is focused within.’

Winter is the time of retreat within, of storage, of the seed buried in the earth, containing all the information for new growth in the spring. It is the time of darkness and obscurity, associated with the emotion fear (kong 恐). Fear follows the movement of winter – it causes the qi to descend. The qi goes within, plumbs the depths – but it can also be lost if it is not stored, and excess fear causes a loss of essences. But according to the resonances within the five phases, it is by confronting and overcoming our fears that we gain wisdom. By going to the depths we emerge with new strength and understanding.

This section of Suwen 2 ends by telling us that to go against this inward movement would be to go against the production of life, and according to Lingshu chapter 8, wisdom (zhi 智) is nothing other than knowing how to nourish our lives (yang sheng 養 生). This kind of wisdom is very practical. It is a kind of ‘knowing how to do’ – a ‘savoir faire’. And the will (zhi 志) associated with the kidneys is not so much a mental attribute, but the power to fully engage with life and to live it powerfully.

There are two Chinese characters that we find translated as knowledge, wisdom, intelligence – and it can become quite confusing as both have the romanisation zhi. The simpler character (知) is defined in the dictionary as to know, to perceive, to understand. It is made with an arrow hitting the target on the left (矢) and a mouth, or utterance from the mouth on the right (口).

With the addition of the sun (日) below (智) there is the suggestion of clarity and brightness – illumination. Similarly, the character ming (明), also used for wisdom but often translated as illumination or enlightenment, is made up with the sun (日) and the moon (月). The classical dictionary defines zhi (智) as wisdom, knowledge, sentience – and in Buddhist texts it is this character that is used for the Sanksrit term jnana – the way to liberation through knowledge.

But the first line of chapter 19 of the Laozi suggests that we, ‘Drop wisdom (zhi 智), abandon cleverness (zhi 知)’ – suggesting that both are human artifice and that we need to return to our natural simplicity. Similarly, the Zhuangzi reminds us that we cannot approach the unknown with knowledge. Both texts refer to the unknowable mysterious nature of the dao, which can be experienced by knowing how to live, but not gained through intellectual endeavour.

22

Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

A mountain for men to climb Why male fertility support is taking member Ian Stones to Everest

Ian Stones Member: East Sussex Like many of us, I see a lot of clients going through fertility struggles. In fact, I very specifically target this market as it’s an area I love working in. And I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that the majority of my fertility clients are women, despite the fact that 50 per cent of fertility issues sit with men.

What about the men?

It was in an ACT (Acupuncture Childbirth Team) meeting a couple of years ago that a little light bulb went on in my mind. Why aren’t men stepping forward for treatment? Why aren’t men getting the support they need? So I set about exploring the realm of male fertility.

I spoke with clients’ husbands to start getting an understanding of what it’s like from their side. I then began to invite men in alongside their partners when they come for my ‘discovery’ consultation. But although this was great and allowed me to start helping more men, it was a slow burn.

Then came the dreaded lockdown!

Clinic ground to a halt and it was time to rethink how I was working and what I was offering. I quickly developed a new series of remote support programmes and found I was able to get results simply through phone consultations and other resources I’d been working on. What I’ve discovered is that with lifestyle and dietary advice and helping people create positive change in their lives, they’ve still got amazing results without any actual treatment with acupuncture. I recently worked with a guy whose sperm count went from 8 million to 28 million just from our remote work together. It’s really opened my eyes to new ways of working and the potential to help even more people.

Irresistible invitation

A few weeks into lockdown I got an email from Fertility Network UK asking if I was interested in hosting an online support group for men – an incredible opportunity which I jumped at. At our first meeting in April we had 30 guys join us for an hour and a half. Since then we’ve held monthly meetings, with 15 to 20 guys each time, and I’ve gained great insight into what it’s

like for a man going through fertility struggles, to discover you can’t father your own child and how challenging giving a sperm sample can really be!

The more I heard, the more it confirmed what I had been thinking – men don’t get the support they need.

The whole system is skewed towards women – through no fault of theirs – leaving men feeling isolated and vulnerable. They lack advice, guidance, support and understanding, and while some guys don’t want to talk or open up, for those who do there’s nothing out there. GPs don’t help and the IVF clinics are just happy if they have some sperm to work with regardless of what the man might be going through.

As acupuncturists we have an exceptional set of skills at our disposal that can be hugely valuable to men with fertility issues. Of course getting them into the clinic to even talk is no mean feat and I won’t profess to have the answer to that just yet. However if we can encourage more men to open up and step forward for help, then we can offer them something unique. What they need most is advice and clarity about what they should and shouldn’t be doing – lifestyle, diet, stress, and in some cases direction as to what to do next medically.

Even if men don’t buy into acupuncture, that’s fine with me – we can still offer all the other elements that come alongside our physical treatment.

For example, I recently worked with a guy remotely, who through phone sessions, support videos and documents has cut out caffeine, alcohol, changed his exercise patterns, lost weight, got more energy, improved sleep and gained a far better understanding of his fertility.

None of which he was getting from his IVF clinic.

There’s still such a stigma around male fertility, and thinking outside of the box of physical treatment does allow us to offer men something different which may suit them better.

The recent Chris Hughes documentary was incredible and there’s a great documentary on Amazon called ‘The Easy Bit’. Both are a must watch if you’re working with fertility clients.

Heading for #BaseCampforFertility

But there’s more to be done, and as you can probably tell, I’m on a mission! I want to raise awareness about the lack of male fertility support and I want to make sure men start getting what they need. So I’ve come up with an incredible challenge… a trek to Everest base camp!

And not just me – I’m looking to pull together a team of 15 to 20 guys who have been affected by fertility issues to come with me. Our aim, to raise awareness and money for Fertility Network UK, the nation’s leading fertility charity providing free and impartial support, advice, information and understanding for anyone affected.

Our trip is scheduled for March 2022 and there’s a lot that needs to happen between now and then. I’ve set myself an ambitious target of £6,000, which will really make a difference for the charity. I’m also incredibly grateful to Balance and JCM for really stepping up and getting behind me on this mission – we’ll be working together to spread the word amongst our community and use this opportunity to champion the work that we all do in supporting anyone with fertility issues.

You too can help!

I’d love for news of our trip to spread as wide and as far as possible, so please tell your friends, family and clients.

If you have any media contacts, I’m happy to talk to anyone, anywhere!

And of course, all donations will be very welcome.

To find out more, head over to my Base Camp for Fertility page.

Crumbs & sandwiches

Susan Thorne BAcC Fellow: Surrey It's been 25 years of the BAcC and for me, just over 25 years in practice. It’s also 25 years since I married, moved to my husband’s smallholding in Surrey and started my Tanglewood Clinic.

Being a fairly new sole practitioner and in a new area, I soon realised I wanted to meet colleagues, so found myself starting a networking group which morphed more formally into a BAcC regional group. Within the local group were colleagues from a variety of colleges. We soon saw that we were not in competition with each other but enjoyed and benefitted from learning from the various backgrounds and approaches to our work.

As I learned more of the BAcC’s organisation I realised how wise those early practitioners were in bringing the disparate colleges into one fold.

I celebrate those pioneers for their vision, wisdom and hard work: firstly the initiative of the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) establishing the high standards of our education; followed by the creation of the BAcC with our codes and guidelines for working practices, support for members and lobbying activities.

After a while with a growing practice, I realised I would like to give something back to my profession but knew I had no background in research or education or other areas that seemed useful on committees. However, I was

persuaded by our then chief executive, Mike O’Farrell, that I had ‘common sense’ and that would be of value. After serving on various committees, I was elected to the Executive Committee and became chairman at the time of transition to the new Governing Board. This was a time of change within the BAcC, a time of growing public acceptance of acupuncture and the profession wanting more political recognition. We were unable to get a Royal Charter but did achieve accreditation from the Professional Standards Authority. Still more lobbying to be done in the political area.

Working on the committees and as BAcC chairman allowed me to meet many people within and alongside our acupuncture profession. This has been a privilege, broadened my horizons and challenged me in many spheres. All of which has been rewarding and great fun too. My husband’s late wife had a saying: ‘cast your crumbs upon the water and one day they’ll come back sandwiches!’

I remember a tutor at college just as we were finishing our course saying ‘Now you have your bits of paper, remember every patient will teach you more.’ And they have. My other inspiration for learning has been the natural world. I am now lucky to live on a small farm and am in close touch with the seasons, but even when living

in west London and working in a big corporation office block, it was possible to feel the different energy of the seasons: the heaviness in a hot humid summer; the creativity and freshness of spring.

The cycle of seasons continues for nature and people. Many patients come for the first time at a turning point in their life. They may not know it when they arrive with a frozen shoulder or migraines but after some treatment it’s not just the symptoms that change.

I have always been happy to accept student clinical observers and recently have supervised some final year students from The Acupuncture Academy. It is always a rewarding experience. It is never too late to learn.

I left my first career in television because I did not want to spend the next 20 plus years doing the same thing – an endless round of Blue Peter and EastEnders. In my second career I am constantly learning from colleagues, students, patients and nature. I am now retiring to my third career on our farm. I shall continue to observe and learn and hope to be a good steward for our small patch of land in Surrey.

To all those who along the way have given generously of their knowledge and inspired me… thank you.

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Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

What to do with the wisdom of experience Sarah Budd Member: Devon ‘We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.’

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) I qualified in acupuncture in 1988, in the days before the BAcC was formed!

Working full time as a midwife, my intention was to offer women more choice of pain relief in labour. Little did I know that I would end up running a maternity acupuncture service on the NHS for 24 years!

Word soon got around amongst the midwives and GPs that acupuncture actually worked (!) for many conditions in pregnancy and beyond, such as sickness, backache, and many more.

Being on call for a birth often meant working all day seeing outpatients, and then staying on for most of the night to see a birth through with acupuncture analgesia. Tiring but extremely rewarding. The demand was enormous, so two more midwives joined me after training in China – Sharon Yelland and Khim Ang. By the time the service was closed in 2012, we had treated over 8,000 women.

After retiring from the NHS, I set up a TCM course for midwives in the hope that acupuncture would become part of NHS maternity care nationwide. Alas, this does not seem to have happened.

My next challenge was to study online for an MSc in Advanced Oriental Medicine with the Northern College of Acupuncture in York. My dissertation was of course pregnancy related and I conducted a modified Delphi consensus study on acupuncture treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum. I consider myself more practical than academic so this was a struggle, but I finished it and graduated last year… thank you NCA! My poor old brain now exhausted, what would I do next? Easy. The next part of my journey took me to Cambodia to do some voluntary teaching for an NGO. In 2018, my good friend Lyna TrinhGenevois, who is half French and half Cambodian, set up the non-profit humanitarian association known as

Les Mains du Coeur pour le Cambodge.

The objective was to offer the most vulnerable and deprived population of Cambodia access to medical care based on traditional Chinese medicine. Their full charter can be found at www.mainsducoeur-cambodge.fr Lyna asked if I would be interested in teaching midwives and doctors about techniques used in TCM, which they could use for their patients who would otherwise not have access to this kind of healthcare. I, of course, jumped at the chance!

The February 2020 mission consisted of five volunteer practitioners, who worked all day for two weeks in a clinic which they set up and equipped, providing treatments for a wide variety of conditions. The second team consisted of myself and Mani Burband, practitioner of TCM with considerable experience in teaching tuina.

The aim of the five-day course was to teach an eager group of seventeen midwives and three doctors the theory and practical knowledge they needed to provide acupressure and other techniques for patients in their care during pregnancy, labour and post-natal periods.

Apparently, women in labour do not get any pain relief in many parts of Cambodia, so to give them this choice was very popular amongst the midwives. The doctors who were with us were based in The Lake Clinic, a project dedicated to bringing free basic healthcare to a severely isolated and underserved population, who live in the floating villages of the Great Lake Tonlé Sap. Before I went on the trip, I spent two days at CICM with the lovely Rachel Peckham, learning the NADA technique, which I then taught to the doctors who were able to work with needles. They felt this would be extremely useful for their patient group. The midwives were taught how to use this protocol as well but using seeds instead of needles.

Mornings were dedicated to theory and revision, while afternoons were practically based, with students finding

Using moxibustion to encourage turning of a baby in breech presentation

points on each other, checked by Mani and myself.

Midwives are in the perfect position to use acupressure for pain relief in labour as they are with the woman anyway. But more importantly, they can teach the technique to the woman’s partner who can start using it at home, before she comes to the delivery unit.

This is empowering for the couple: the partners have a worthwhile, effective role to play – and a large folder of positive testimonials collected by us over the years confirm great satisfaction when this technique has been used by couples.

The second morning was devoted to acupressure theory for conditions in pregnancy: nausea and vomiting, back and pelvic pain, constipation, hypertension, haemorrhoids, varicose veins, retained placenta, after-pains, postpartum haemorrhage, lactation problems, and urinary incontinence.

On the second day, after the afternoon class had finished, one of the midwives on our course had to work a night shift in the delivery suite. She proudly came into class the next morning telling us that she had put our techniques to use when looking after a woman in labour.

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Inspiration

After the presentations and before the sad, tearful farewells

Midwife proudly shows her photo of couple using acupressure in labour, as instructed by her

Not only that, but she had instructed the patient’s partner on how to apply strong pressure to acupuncture points on his wife’s shoulders and lower back with his thumbs, to help with the pain of the contractions. The midwife felt it had made a big difference to the woman’s labour.

The rest of the week was spent learning about auricular acupressure and using vaccaria seeds. Also for this course, we taught the use of moxibustion for turning breech presentation babies, as well as for treating anaemia and for postnatal recovery.

At the end of the course on the Friday afternoon, there was a summing up, together with presentations. Each student received a certificate of participation in the course, handed out by the director, and gifts were exchanged. It was a sad farewell but I’m sure we will all keep in touch and I look forward to hearing how they are getting on with what they have learnt.

I returned from Cambodia just before the first Covid-19 lockdown. These very strange times have allowed us time to reflect. As winter draws near and we turn inwards both physically and mentally, I look back on the fantastic drive and energy I had: studying hard, working hard, dancing hard at BAcC conferences! Now it feels fine to slow down and hand over the baton to the incredible practitioners I know who are doing amazing things in obstetric acupuncture around the world, including the important work of research. I hope that better evidence will lead to wider availability, and not just for those that can afford our very valuable treatment.

I continue to teach internationally about obstetric acupuncture, as well as being part of an international mentorship group with Debra Betts and Claudia Citkovitz (Maternity Acupuncture Mentoring and Peer Support – MAMPS). Blessed to live on Dartmoor, a lot of time is spent being out and appreciating nature. Good food and company bring contentment. That will do for now… unless Cambodia or other voluntary work calls again.

Midwives can teach the technique to the woman’s partner who can start using it at home

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Opinion

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Some words about our noble lineage Julian Scott BAcC Fellow: Somerset The early history of acupuncture in the UK started as a muddy trickle, which gradually cleared as it grew, until the present day when one might say that it is a small river. Hopefully it will grow into a great torrent, and become king among the medicines practised in the UK (dream on, Julian).

I don’t know about the very earliest days. I only know from Geoff Foulkes – a lovely man, an osteopath who was in from the beginning – that when he started, acupuncture was 100 per cent symptomatic. Pain in the shoulder?

Put a needle in the shoulder. Pain in the back? Put a needle in the back. For him it was then a huge step forward to be introduced to the five elements by Lavier, a Parisian homoeopath turned acupuncturist who had learnt most of what he knew from the academic Chamfrault. As I understand, it was Lavier who invented the useful idea of a ‘causative factor’, being an amalgam of the Chinese idea of cause of disease and the homoeopathic idea of a constitutional remedy.

Lavier gave two or three week-long courses in London in the late 1960s, and that was it for quite a while. His teaching was kept alive and developed by the Acupuncture Research Group, a regular meeting of those who had been to Lavier’s courses. They made one or two idiosyncratic contributions to the folklore of acupuncture, such as the idea that if you use SP 4 gong sun more than three times in a lifetime you will surely cause cancer; and that you should not use a luo point on a yang channel in acute disease as it might allow the illness to go deeper.

It is easy for me to be snooty about those developments (being snooty comes quite naturally to me) but they were brave men and women. They were fiercely individual and committed to a path which most people thought was completely batty. I say men and women, but they were mainly men. I understood that Leslie Kenton was one of the few women in the group, though she soon went off on another path. There was also Mary Austin.

Being fiercely individual, those who taught us younger generation each had their own societies. Rose-Neil and The

When asked why he chose that point he would merely grunt ‘You will understand one day'

British College, Jack Worsley and the Traditional Acupuncture Society, and van Buren with the International Register of Oriental Medicine. No wonder the members of each glared at each other with suspicion. It was actually the smallest of the groups, the International Register – of which I was the rather inadequate chair, a role that Felicity Moir soon took over – that brought all the parties together. After some stormy meetings, the BAcC was born, and I am proud to be one of the founding members.

It is now time for me to pay tribute to my first teacher Dr van Buren, who, when I learnt from him, was a pure five element practitioner. He gave three-year courses, having taken over some of Jack Worsley’s students when Jack suddenly gave up teaching for a while (probably due to burn-out). VB as he was known, was hopeless as an academic teacher, and he knew it and did his best to compensate. This caused me immense frustration, bordering on stagnation of liver qi (another thing that comes quite naturally to me), as it did many others on the course. Fortunately, VB had taken on Giovanni Maciocia as an assistant and it was he who taught the second year with refreshing clarity.

I can say these apparently bad things

about VB because of my enormous admiration for him. What he did teach was first of all the ability to heal. I don’t know how it happened. It just rubbed off. His healing ability was phenomenal.

If you wanted a miracle, he was the man to go to. Personally I don’t think he actually needed to use needles, for he would often use a point which seemed to everyone around completely irrelevant. When asked why he chose that point he would merely grunt ‘You will understand one day’. And now, 45 years later, when asked by a student why I did a certain point, I sometimes answer with the same phrase.

The other gift that VB gave was a burning conviction that acupuncture could cure absolutely anything, but that you had to study. This he imparted to his students to such effect that a number of us even went to the extreme of learning Chinese. Since then, many who went through his school have become leaders; such as Nils von Below, one-time president of the German acupuncture society, Barbara Kirschbaum who founded the breast cancer clinic in Hamburg, Fride Møller and Anette Koppang who were two of the founders of the Norwegian school, Joan Duveen and Pieter van Kervel who founded schools in Holland and in Israel, Peter Valaskatgis who completely reformed the New England School of Acupuncture. And of course, those closer to home like Giovanni, Peter Deadman, Felicity Moir, and Jasmine Uddin, to name but a few. Through them we have a direct connection to the noble lineage of Chinese medicine which grows stronger and stronger.

This burning conviction of the efficacy of acupuncture remains with me, perhaps burning even brighter and more fiercely in old age. You will hear me mutter things like ‘Who needs orthodox medicine?’ 'Statins? Pah!’, ‘Antibiotics?

Poisonous mould’, ‘Osteopaths?

Fumblers. Acupuncture is quicker and better.’ I will willingly agree that surgery has a place; and if I have the misfortune to be seriously injured, please take me to a hospital. But for 95 per cent of all complaints (including of course childhood illnesses like whooping cough), acupuncture is quicker and better… and oh yes, it has the unusual side effect of improving your health and making you actually feel happier.

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Opinion

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Founding a profession BAcC luminaries at the dawn of UK acupuncture

Charles Buck BAcC Fellow: Cheshire OK, there were traces before, but the seeds of UK acupuncture really germinated in the 1970s, fed and watered by the twin forces of science and hippy-dom. Even then, science had an inkling of something interesting going on. Starting a uni research project in 1976 I asked my supervisor what was the most interesting new horizon in neurophysiology – ‘Oh, acupuncture, definitely!’ he said.

This sparked my interest but also seemed a very weird thing for a med school professor to say at that time, until I found out it was the search to explain ‘the acupuncture effect’ that fuelled the discovery of endorphins.

Scientists got their research grants, but it was us hairy types with our fascination for all things eastern who decided to actually learn how to do it.

As you might expect, gurus appeared to meet the demand, notably Jack Worsley, Dick van Buren, Royston Low, and Sidney Rose-Neil, plus a few more.

These pioneers founded colleges and taught their own personal interpretations of the sparse information that could be gleaned at the time. Beholden to no one, they guessed at how a medical education should happen, what a curriculum might contain and how assessment happens. They set up somewhat ad hoc registers to recognise their own graduates and so, by 1984 we ended up with five rival fiefdoms each quietly disparaging the others for being not quite good enough.

The new generation then thought, Dammit – we are a healthcare profession, not medical hobbyists, we

deserve state recognition – and so they knocked at the doors of Whitehall.

Whitehall said two things. One, that we had to unite into a single organisation because they did not want to talk to a rabble, and two, we needed to selfregulate properly, to look more like an actual medical profession and less like a bunch of mavericks.

Remarkable diplomacy by the BAcC founders allowed us to overcome past rancour and unite together – first as the Council for Acupuncture and then in 1995 as the BAcC. We began to mature into a real profession, ideally positioned to have state recognition.

The remaining challenge was to create a squeaky-clean professional body with appropriate standards. An important part involved defining and maintaining the educational requirements for entry into the profession, and to do this an accreditation board was created to regulate the quality of professional UK acupuncture training. The genius of those who founded the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) was to bring in outside experts

in medical education. They helped us create processes so educationally correct that when the universities began to offer acupuncture degrees, they recognised the quality of the BAAB and duly sought to have them validate their courses.

Even today, three decades after the BAAB was founded, I believe this achievement has not been matched anywhere else in Europe. BAcC members can today display genuine acupuncture degree certificates on their clinic walls because of the work of enlightened BAcC heroes of the past. Without the professional self-discipline they gave us we default to a race-to-the-bottom where maverick colleges compete for a limited student market, short-changing students and the public by offering ever cheaper and inadequate short courses.

The challenge was to create a squeaky-clean professional body with appropriate standards

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Opinion

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Goodbye to all what?

John Wheeler BAcC Fellow: Berkshire Philosophy alert! After my threeyear stint as chair of the Traditional Acupuncture Society (TAS) and the formation of the BAcC I planned to get back to practice, and nothing but practice. However, the siren voices said, ‘Please, please edit the Newsletter’ and then, ‘of course, you’ll need to attend Exec Committee meetings to know what’s happening’, and before long I was Treasurer and on several committees. From there it was downhill all the way.

As editor I took liberties, and members heard quite a bit about Italian football, endured spoof Star Trek scripts (copies available on request) and worst of all, received lectures about Jean-Paul Sartre’s Critique de la Raison Dialectique, easily one of the most unreadable books ever. His central theme, though, how groups disintegrate, seems worryingly relevant. Groups, he argued, only formed in response to external threats, because with him being an existential individualist and all, they were ‘vanishing moments’, doomed to fall anyway. He wrote

beautifully about the moment of formation when ‘one person speaks but it could be anyone’s voice’.

Once the external threat had passed, however, groups descended through all sorts of less and less cohesive structures until they reached what he called the ‘series’, something that looked a bit like a group but in which everyone was connected only by something external, like belonging to the AA or RAC. Is this relevant, you ask? Well, yes. When the BAcC was formed, there were real threats – dangerous infighting between the associations, and increasingly hostile attention from an establishment alarmed at the growth of ‘wacky’ therapies. The excitement of combining to work together to meet these threats was palpable, and lasted a good decade or more. Once we found our feet though, and once too we lost all hope of statutory regulation or a Royal Charter through no fault of our own, we seemed to develop a more destructive inward-looking process. All that creative energy had nowhere to go, so we began to reinvent wheels for the sake of it, it seemed to me, while becoming afraid of true innovation and change.

Where are we now? Committees have reappeared, and I’m always very wary of committees – they usually have about as much spontaneity as when the average British person gets so mad about something they sit down and write a letter. For ‘see it, do it’ people they can be something of a challenge, and those are precisely the kind of people who created the BAcC and brought innovation and growth.

Without them, as was famously written of the play Waiting for Godot,

‘nothing happens.

Twice.’ There is a danger that the BAcC may become something to which people belong, but with which they don’t engage, a service provider but, like the Wizard of Oz’s Tin Man, with no heart or soul.

My hope for the next 25 years is that some of the passion, energy and enthusiasm which clearly shines through in members now joining the BAcC is given its head, allowed to try things and allowed to fail if need be. We have already seen a burgeoning number of new Facebook groups where large numbers of members exchange ideas, receive news, seek advice and share their experiences, all of which the BAcC used to provide when it first formed.

What these new groups lack, however, often because they don’t realise it exists, is the BAcC’s impressive body of completed work and web of influence which no informal group can match, and without which the individual groups would flounder. My hope is that the BAcC sees in all this an opportunity rather than a threat, and taps into the dynamism which is clearly still there and waiting to be unleashed

What these new groups lack is the BAcC’s impressive body of completed work and web of influence

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Opinion

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One big BAcC family Cinzia Scorzon Member: London It is hard to believe that 25 years have already passed since the major professional acupuncture societies in the UK decided to join together under one umbrella, regardless of deep-felt differences in their approaches to acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

In June 1995, I had already been in practice for over 11 years. At the time, acupuncture had become very popular and people were seeking acupuncture treatment for all kinds of acute and chronic conditions. The media were generally sympathetic towards acupuncture and several famous people became public advocates. Even in China the UK was known as the ‘paradise of Chinese medicine’ (zhongyi de tiandi), partly because it was possible to practise here without a licence but also because there was a real demand for our services.

Undoubtedly, the hard work of the main professional bodies that became the BAcC played a major part in this.

In the beginning, the BAcC was run by practitioners, who generously gave their time and energy for free. I will be forever thankful to all those who worked so hard for all of us in those days. I completely understand that this was not sustainable in the long run and that a proper professional organisation needed to be put on a proper professional footing. Unfortunately, over time a gap appeared to emerge between those running the organisation and the practitioner members, a gap that I believe still exists and needs mending.

At the time of its foundation, we, the ordinary members, believed the BAcC would deliver for us statutory regulation and the same professional recognition now accorded to osteopaths and chiropractors. We all know that this promise could not be delivered, with consequences that are playing out right now, when unlike osteopaths and chiropractors we were not automatically allowed to practise during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Two other important mistakes, in my opinion, were the separation between acupuncture and Chinese medicine that the BAcC accepted, and the failure to fight more forcefully against the claim by physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and medical

doctors to be practitioners of medical acupuncture despite a clear lack of proper training. The first mistake I see as one reason for the gap that exists in the UK between predominantly white European and Chinese practitioners.

The second helped create the perception amongst members of the general public that acupuncturists were somehow less qualified than medical acupuncturists. However, errors are made in any organisation, and at times, wrong decisions are taken too. What counts is to learn from mistakes, not repeat them, and to work out a better vision for the future.

Of course, there are also many positives. The BAcC has enhanced professionalism in a number of different ways.

Establishing close ties with the BAAB: the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) was set up in 1990, as an independent body that has been focusing on maintaining and enhancing the highest acupuncture education standards in the UK. Establishing ARRC: the Acupuncture Research Resource Centre (ARRC) has been another crowning achievement.

Not only does ARRC provide a vast research database and organise what is by any measure the premier annual research symposium in Europe, but it also encourages and supplies funds for members to conduct research projects. I was one of the lucky ones who was awarded a grant for a clinical study on anxiety, which I am currently writing up.

Producing a twice-yearly quality journal: the European Journal of Oriental Medicine (EJOM).

Organising an annual conference: this has grown over the years and continues to provide the mix of learning and fun that I remember from my very first visit to what was then still the Traditional Acupuncture Society annual conference in Leamington Spa. To me, being a member of the BAcC, with all its strengths and weakness,

still feels like belonging to a big family where there is sharing, support, discussion, and even arguments, but there are also common values and beliefs.

This year, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been particularly impressed by this unity. Teamwork between the Governing Board and practitioners during the first lockdown, with constant input and efforts, has allowed us to safely return to practice.

Good communication, direction and support have been provided in these challenging times and I am very appreciative of being part of such an organisation.

The Chinese character jia has several meanings: family, specialist in a certain field and school of thought. That seems to me quite appropriate. Happy 25th anniversary BAcC!

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Community

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

On reflection

Pia Huber BAcC Acting Chair: London

After this year’s AGM on the 18 September, I took on the role of acting chair of the BAcC as Sarah Attwell, our chair, went on maternity leave. I am very happy that Sarah was able to have a few weeks to herself and her family, undisturbed by matters regarding the BAcC at least, to prepare for their new arrival.

So what has it been for me? What does the role entail? The chair of the Governing Board stands on the bridge between on the one side the governance, or in other words the holding of the strategic overview, and on the other side the day-to-day running, operational part of the BAcC. This means that I have had weekly telephone conversations with the chief executive, Jennifer Norton, and the vice chair, Naresh Rao. Conversations with Jennifer have enabled me to get information on the activities of the staff team and any enquiries which needed attention. My conversations with Naresh are held to discuss important issues that require attention from the chair. It will come as no surprise that throughout this time Covid-19 and its fallout for the UK, and therefore for BAcC members, has had a dominant place in our discussions. I was also given updates over preparations for the BAcC budget which of course is a major part of the Governance. In addition, Jennifer reported to me on the cyber attack from China and subsequent shutdown by Microsoft. Although this protected our website, at the same time it disrupted a high number of emails to BAcC members at a crucial moment in the most recent lockdown, when the office was informing practitioners in England that we were able to keep our clinics open.

While acting as BAcC chair, I have also had several interactions with the European Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ETCMA), the umbrella body for acupuncture organisations in Europe.

It now has 26 member organisations, with over 14,000 individual practitioners, including the most recent member to join from Slovenia, whose acceptance I was asked to vote on. One request I received from the ETCMA was to lobby the European parliament to endorse ten amendments to their new EU4Health programme, all favouring integrative medicine. Sadly, this was one thing I could not follow up as the UK no longer has any MEPs and thus no influence.

Nonetheless, it shows the ways in which our European colleagues are working to integrate more traditional medicines in Europe. And finally, we now have GB practitioner member Alan Longcroft as our BAcC representative, who will have access to an ETCMA webpage to foster exchanges between the member organisations. My thanks go to Alan for taking this on.

Our GB meeting on 15 October contained important updates from our chief executive on the operational side as well as the various committees to the Board, allowing us to look at how the workings of staff and committees fit with our overall aims and strategies. We also heard from a British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) representative, reporting on acupuncture training institutions, allowing us to focus on the needs and concerns of BAcC student members, our potential future practising members.

At the beginning of 2020 we were poised to launch our new strategy, however Covid-19 has caused us to pause and reflect on some aspects of our plans. The GB had to make some small but important adjustments to account for the changing circumstances, which of course includes reduced income of about a quarter this year, due to three months of members paying nonpractitioner rate. As Board members we are collectively held responsible for the accounts of the organisation and it is thus no surprise that we have a substantial interest in maintaining the financial health of the BAcC. In addition, our professional interests, either as acupuncturists or non-practitioner members with special expertise, are keen incentive to keep this valuable professional body running well. We now look forward to launching our strategy in early 2021.

In order to improve our understanding and workings of good Board governance, we also got together – on Zoom of course – for governance training provided by the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN – parnglobal.com). This proved extremely valuable, especially for GB practitioner members who often have little experience in this field. Discussions about our role proved interesting and the trainer, Robert Pitts, looked at the

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

structure of our Board and supporting committees, and gave us the thumbs up for establishing best practice and a well-structured corporate governance framework.

Although I am still working in my own acupuncture clinic, it has certainly taken more of a back seat.

My thoughts are almost daily on some matters concerning the BAcC. More so since October when I started to listen to individual BAcC members. Some are members who have contacted the BAcC or who have strong links to many members through mentoring or regional groups, others are randomly selected. I listen to their concerns, ideas, wishes, and of course complaints, and hope to gain greater insight how we can improve our organisation.

My thanks go to Naresh Rao, who has supported me in in my new role, as well as to everyone on the GB. We all put the interests of BAcC members and our staff at the forefront of all our decision-making. We are committed to ensuring that our organisation provides full support to members in these uncertain times, as well as being well placed to move forwards into a positive future.

And finally, I would like to express my and the Board’s thanks to Jennifer Norton and all our staff, for their continuing hard work and dedication.

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Membership Services Committee catch-up Joanna Brown GB Non-practitioner Member & MSC Chair Writing this on a cheerful autumn day it is possible to forget, at least for a while, that we are living through a crisis that is completely different to anything we have experienced before.

When you read this piece on a cold winter’s day, the realities of social distancing and lockdown may feel much starker. In these trying times, when members have so much to contend with in keeping their businesses and personal lives afloat, the activity of the Membership Services Committee (MSC) may appear somewhat peripheral. But please read on!

After a period of inactivity over the spring and summer the BAcC committees are up and running again.

The purpose of the MSC is exactly what it says on the tin: ‘To oversee the development and promotion of membership services for professional development, including events, regional support and opportunities for business’.

The MSC, supported by the Governing Board (GB), have identified some priorities for the forthcoming year. We will undertake a review of the membership categories to make sure that they are appropriate for all stages of members’ professional lives; we will look at providing practical resources for business management; and we will consider how best the BAcC can support regional groups, so they in turn can

support members throughout the country.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and as befits a membership committee our activity must be member-led.

By the time this is published I hope we will have successfully recruited three new practitioner members to the committee, to join Archna Patel.

I am keen that as far as possible the practitioner members are representative of the membership as a whole in terms of age, geography etc.

We also have the benefit of two non-practitioner members with special expertise – Ann Mealor and Robert Pettigrew – and we are looking forward to working with both Stephen Rainbird, new membership manager, and Fiona Lam, learning and events manager.

So, in conclusion, we are excited to be back in action and working to ensure that the BAcC provides great services which add value at every stage of your acupuncture career. We will keep you informed of what we are up to through the medium of Acu. and of course, we would love to hear your feedback, suggestions and requests.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and here’s hoping for brighter times ahead.

Stephen Rainbird 〉 s.rainbird@acupuncture.org.uk

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Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Office team update It’s no secret that staffing in the BAcC office has undergone some substantial changes over the past year.

Restructuring centred around unavoidable budgetary restrictions, together with a genuine desire to develop a more agile and cost-effective set-up.

Roles and responsibilities were reviewed and realigned, taking us from 19 predominantly part-time posts to a tighter working team of 8 full-time and 3 part-time – and with an annual saving to the organisation of £150,000. Where roles changed, all previous staff were encouraged to apply for any post appropriate to their skills.

Saying goodbye to colleagues and friends is always bitter-sweet, whatever the circumstances. I hope the new faces you see here will become equally as valued as those we say goodbye to on page 36. They are keen to do their very best for the BAcC and for all of you.

Jennifer Norton Chief Executive

Systems & Operations Manager

Safe Practice Officer

Finance Manager

Professional Conduct Officer

Gloria JeanBaptiste Flament

Hannah Bowie-Carlin

Juliana Zipperlin

Caroline Jones

Learning & Events Manager

Research Manager

Publications Manager

Membership Manager

Fiona Lam

Mark Bovey

Ann Gordon

Stephen Rainbird

Communications Officer

Membership Engagement Officer

Anna Massey

Montana Sheikh

Chief Executive

Jennifer Norton

Full-time Part-time

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Introducing the newbies They may be new faces at the BAcC but between the three of them, Stephen Rainbird, Fiona Lam and Anna Massey hold valuable skills and experience that are already beginning to reap benefits for the BAcC. Oh, and a love of animals, it would seem…

Stephen Rainbird: Membership Manager

I’m really pleased to have joined the British Acupuncture Council and to have the opportunity to input into its growth and development as we look ahead to 2021.

I have worked in education and professional membership for over 20 years and bring a wealth of experience to the membership manager role. My focus so far has been on the support we have in place for our members, students and potential future members. It’s been really interesting to learn in more detail about the structure of the membership and the key services that we offer. This has allowed me to begin reviewing the processes that support the benefits we currently provide to you all.

So far, I’ve spoken to many members calling in with questions – either helping them with matters particular to their own practice or, most commonly at the moment, with questions regarding practising under Covid-19 restrictions. It’s great that we are able to give this level of support but I’m also delighted to tell you that we have just recruited a membership engagement officer, Montana Sheikh.

Once she begins, Montana will be working with me to build on what we already offer and will be your first point of contact with the BAcC. She will also be central to delivering the range of processes and activities in the membership life cycle and to streamlining our various procedures.

One of our key activities for the year ahead will be working together to improve member engagement. We will be reviewing the value and range of benefits you currently enjoy – assessing how they work and looking at what more we can do. We will also be looking at what products and services are available at each stage of membership, from new students right through to long-established practitioners. I’m also very keen to ensure that our support becomes increasingly visible to members so that we are on hand as and when required, and we will be reaching out to you all for your views on how this might best be achieved.

I’ve already had the opportunity to attend some of the BAcC’s committee meetings, which is helping me get to know how things operate, and I’m now working with the Professional Standards and Regulatory Committee (PSRC) on a key project for the year

ahead. We will be starting to review and update the BAcC guidelines for the Standards of Education and Training in Acupuncture in consultation with key stakeholders, including the Council of Heads of Acupuncture Colleges (CHAC) and the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB).

Lastly, for now, I am very keen to hear more from you on the value of membership and your thoughts on the services that we offer, so please feel free to get in touch with your feedback and input.

Fiona Lam: Learning & Events Manager

I joined the BAcC team at the start of October to take up the newly created post of learning and events manager.

Prior to arriving here, I have worked in various educational membership bodies, as well as notfor-profit and corporate organisations – positions that have taken me around the UK and across the globe.

A few personal favourites in my events career have been organising a centenary anniversary garden party at Buckingham Palace, working with the BBC team to exhibit at the Countryfile Live show held at Blenheim Palace, as well as arranging fun networking activities – alongside formal conferences! – including golf tournaments in Miami, copper mine site visits in Chile, and liquid nitrogen themed gala dinners!

I have a genuine passion for organising events and bringing people and businesses together, and I’m really excited about the different opportunities that my new role at the BAcC will bring.

Over the next few months I am planning to look at how I can best support regional groups around the country, as well as creating new online resources such as webinars to support your CPD. I’ll also be considering alternative ways of delivering events such as the BAcC conference and ARRC symposium during these strange and unpredictable times.

Yet another part of my role is to evaluate current learning and event projects, including mentoring and supervision, with a view to making what’s on offer more accessible to all members in the future.

I am very keen to work with students, graduates and members alike, to share good practice, support one another and shape the future of learning and events

in the acupuncture world. Please do get in touch by email with any ideas or suggestions you may have.

Anna Massey: Communications Officer

Hello, I’m Anna, your newly appointed communications officer. I joined the team in mid-October.

My background is in communications, with a specialism for creating engaging content about healthcare and science. I studied biomedical science at the University of Southampton and since then I’ve been lucky enough to get stuck into a number of exciting projects in the notfor-profit sector, gaining experience and learning skills that I have brought with me to the BAcC. As part of my role I will be responsible for developing and updating how the BAcC communicates, producing impactful content both for our members and the general public and managing social media.

For the last eight years my parents have lived in China and as a result I’ve had a really good opportunity to travel and learn about Chinese culture.

I have always found acupuncture and Eastern medicine interesting, in terms of Chinese history but also in the context of my degree and interest in biology. I am really looking forward to learning more about acupuncture and creating exciting comms about such a fascinating practice In my free time I enjoy (probably too many) craft-based hobbies, most recently making suncatchers out of stained glass. I have two very sweet pet rats called Simon and Garfunkel, and for anyone that needs convincing of how cute they are, I have a never-ending supply of photos of them!

If you have any queries about communications, would like to make suggestions, or just want to see Simon and Garfunkel, drop me an email.

Our final and newest face, Montana Sheikh, has barely had time to take her coat off, so you'll be hearing more from her in the spring when she's had time to catch her breath.

Whatever you need and whoever you need to speak to, you can find contact details for all staff – new and not-so-new – next to the Classifieds on page 39.

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Fu 復: The Turning Point Elio Basagni Principal: ICOM through further 2020, what a independent challenging year! studies and/or Just one short clinical practical year ago, who work on site. could have The new imagined a modality of global pandemic teaching and and the sudden seismic disruption communicating has provided to our lives? The many unexpected benefits. We are loss of loved ones, the abrupt disappearance now able to hold valuable discussions of livelihoods, the isolation, along with with students during class which were the restriction of simple freedoms we hitherto impossible in the conventional once took for granted, has indeed left classroom. Lectures are often broken everyone reeling. But as is often the case, up into small chunks available online, through difficult experiences we learn so giving the whole faculty the opportunity much, and even though this pandemic is to peer-review lectures, understand still ongoing, at the International College more deeply and in detail what students of Oriental Medicine (ICOM) we can are exposed to, and promote a fruitful already look back and see how much we process of cross-fertilisation. This has have grown. also created the opportunity to reIt feels like we haven’t touched the evaluate our curriculum, revitalise our ground since March. Within days of the lineage and move closer to our classical first lockdown being announced, we Chinese medicine roots. were online. We already had a cloudSeveral CPD courses, due to be delivered based intranet in place, and up until that at the college, were successfully held point had not found time to explore its online and for the first time were full potential; but explore it we did and attended by people watching together through quickly discovering new ways from at least three different countries. of communicating with our students Numerous successful course and staff, we have transformed ICOM introduction days were held online, into a far more versatile and stronger allowing people to meet the team, institution than ever before. learn about our programme’s aim, and A fresh intake of students has just teaching philosophy, as well as taking joined us for the start of the new a virtual tour of the college from as academic year, and they are benefitting far away as Japan. Previously held on already from the new system of learning that has been swiftly implemented since March. Lectures have been rewritten and refined and are now delivered via a series of podcasts. We have adopted a flipped classroom model, whereby students are introduced to information at home first, then deepen their understanding during their lectures, cementing their knowledge ICOM clinic superviisors helped to train doctors at the Watchet Jivitadhana Sanga Hospital, Myanmar

site, this new set-up has enabled many more people to attend and we have seen a large increase in participants.

It seems that the holistic, systemic, and humanistic approach offered by Chinese medicine is appealing to more people who feel that, in these difficult times, a change of direction is needed.

But not everything happens online.

We are very proud that, since 4 July, ICOM Clinic has remained open, with extensive safety and hygiene measures approved by Public Health England.

With so many people currently facing economic hardship, we felt that ICOM had a duty to help ensure that acupuncture training is accessible.

Therefore, over the next three years, six students will have access to a special ICOM bursary.

The 2020 graduates overcame incredibly difficult conditions during their final year, which is already enormously challenging at the best of times. They had to swiftly find their way around new software, adapt to online lectures and learn to give presentations online, all whilst giving up much of the social contact with one another that often helps them so much along the way. Some who were trained nurses were so driven by compassion that they signed up to temporarily return to the profession to treat Covid patients on the front line. We supported their decisions throughout, and they still managed to graduate. We are immensely proud of them.

Last Autumn, we launched our International Community project, which has given our recent graduates and alumni the unique opportunity to treat some of the poorest people in the world in conjunction with charitable projects.

These include Nepal Pain Relief, a nonprofit Swiss association founded after the devastating Nepal earthquakes. Two of our recent graduates, Anna-Marie

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WELCOME Congratulations to the following graduate practitioners who are now eligible to register as BAcC members.

COLLEGE OF INTEGRATED CHINESE MEDICINE Melody Aspinall Rachel Bird Sarah Chapman Ning Chi Aldona Cynarska Kate Daguerre Stephanie Dornan James Middlebrook Helen Pluzhnikova Karen Remmington Sarah Webb INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE Shymeoni Blaxland-de-Lange Caroline Caswell Xiao Chun Gao Susan Donald Luminita Ferreira Annabelle Haberkorn-Gill Robert Horsfall Kate Joseph Katie Knight Chevonne Kord Lisa Marsh Tanya Menzies Gill Millard Sophie Robinson Kelly Turnbull

Above: Graduates of 2020 Below: ICOM clinic has remained open since 4 July

Wakeling and Caroline Crowther, were in Nepal last autumn where they treated hundreds of patients over the course of six weeks – an incredible experience for newly-qualified acupuncturists. In January 2020, a group of ICOM clinic supervisors also travelled to Myanmar to help train doctors at the Watchet Jivitadhana Sanga Hospital, a project that has been ongoing for many years.

Currently, a similar project is being set up in Sri Lanka. Sadly, the need for help will be even greater when this pandemic is over, but we already have volunteers ready to offer their assistance when the time is right.

2020 has been a year we will not soon forget, but we will take forward what we have learned and cherish the positive developments that it has brought. After all, 2020 is a Zi 子 year and the tidal hexagram associated with it is Fu 復 (the turning point): ‘When decay has reached its extreme a turning point comes, then the light shines in the darkness and the brightness begins again.’

NORTHERN COLLEGE OF ACUPUNCTURE Dorette Allen Bulbul Barrett Katherine Bates Paul Bond Sue Brierley Emma Clarke Susanne Crinson Chris Crockford Donna Evans

Amanda Gordon Ana Guerrero Reza Hashemi Pour Asal Nathalie Heycock Kelly King Claire Kuras Alison Lyon-Murphy Roberta Reeve Laura Robertson Jacqueline Shaw Denis Slater Amanda Smith Jennifer Speight Janet Stevens Michele Stones Amber Tuer THE ACUPUNCTURE ACADEMY Fabienne Boué-Bigne Julie Bradford Jody Deacon Sharnie Morrison Gillie Salter Clare Scallon Allie Scott Clare Spicknell THE CITY COLLEGE OF ACUPUNCTURE Clara Baker Anne Christensen Fleur Clackson-Foney Audrey Marie Jerome Schmit Joanna Wragg Nicoletta Zinato UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER Anna Derraj Ichelle Van Dooren Kadri Torp Ana De Freitas Teixeira Moreira Da Silva

The copy deadline for this issue was 20 October 2020. We apologise to anyone who graduated on or after this date and so will have been missed off this list. Your name will appear in the next issue of Acu. Please note: BAAB graduates have up to three years from date of graduation (ie successfully completing the course, not the ceremony) in which to automatically register with the BAcC. After three years, entry onto the register can only be gained via fast track application.

Don't forget to find Moxi...

Thank goodness some things don't change!

Hidden somewhere in the pages of this Acu. is a teeny-weeny Moxi.

To win a Moxa Moments t-shirt designed by Toon Min, just find little Moxi by 25 January and you’re in with a chance.

Quick! Find Moxi and email editor@acupuncture.org.uk

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Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

e m i t e h t s i Now e y b d o o g y to sa

Koc, rove, Magda rs Isobel Cosg well be re em fa m nd d fo an ues ted to bid a an w er that Office colleag el ow he ar. We kn and John W e BAcC this ye ANK Hilary Coles th TH ft g le bi ve ry ve ha a f who em in saying eir th th to those staf in in jo l el to t w will wan ish them all w e W . re many of you he ne pictured YOU to everyo . ys ne ur future jo

Silvia

Silvia helped me navigate the intricacies of finance linked to my work on the Governing Board, and a number of different education committees. IC Your stunning outfits each day; your twin kly smile; your resilience and those wonderful cakes!

Gavin

Thank you, Gavin – we spent many days, weeks and even months working on different BAcC projects, work that would not have happened at all without your knowledge and expertise, and your e eternal goodwill in the face of my onlin naivety. IC You were always there, Gavin, quietly beavering away behind the scenes.

Maria

Carol D

Carol D, you AR E the BAcC! Your dedication to yo ur job for so many years is an example of oldfashioned loya lty at its best.

ays willing able and alw quirky and ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Unbelievably e right mix of to help. Just th . professional on so many gness to take in ill w ur Yo nce at lle ce ex s; your different task your loyalty and the y; confidentialit d the office. you decorate ay w l fu beauti ! hs l, the laug But most of al

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Kevin

What a wonderful man, such a passion for the BAcC and a force to be reckoned with. I love his infectious humour and sunny outlook.

If there is anyone who personifies ‘positive energy’, it is you Kevin. Your sunny smile and your enthusiasm radiated throughout the room.

Jane

Jane transformed the position of supervision and mentoring in the profession, and in the BAcC. She always had her hand on our backs. IC A wonderful person, full of energy and dynamism. She has exceptional communication and other people skills Such a fun and interesting person and was always a joy to work with. MC Her tolerant good humour always shon who excelled in developing e through, and that brilliant smile and ready student relationships. Her laughter belied a forensic analysis. HC infectious happiness was The most amazing, supportive manager, refreshing and welcome. superb lawyer and unofficial ‘morale officer’ for the staff.

Natalie

Anna

Kindness is a quality often overlooked, Anna, but it is extremely important and . one which you possess in great quantities

When I helped running the BAcC All along, down along, out along lea.

These fine people supported me Carol Daglish, Silvia Sobral, Kevin Durjun Sandy Williams, Gavin Erickson, Old Uncle Jon Farrow and all, Old Uncle Jon Farrow and all.

Carol C

A lovely person whose persona lity added a brightness to my day in the office.

Such a great colleague – fair, hard-working, reliable a real team player… and the healthiest fitte st person I know!

Sandy

I could hness I wish With a stylis s and as cl t brough emulate, you a great as l el w as sophistication sense of fun.

When again will their faces we see All along, down along, out along lea As happy memories that’s where they’ll be Carol Daglish, Silvia Sobral, Kevin Durjun, Sandy Williams, Gavin Erickson, Old Uncle Jon Farrow and all, Old Uncle Jon Farrow and all.

Trad arr Wheeler

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Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

Regional groups Regional groups help circulate information and provide local forums and support, especially in these uncertain times.

So please don't feel that you're on your own. Now more than ever, with so many get-togethers happening via Zoom, any member is welcome to attend any meeting.

Check the Member website for upcoming sessions and contact the local RGC to find out more.

REGIONAL GROUPS ASHDOWN FOREST & WEST SUSSEX Ninette Sapir 〉 01342 826374 nsapir@yahoo.co.uk Ioonah Woods 〉 07719 576652 ioonahwoods@gmail.com BEDFORDSHIRE Louise England 〉 07933 046232 tweega@btinternet.com BERKSHIRE Kim Child 〉 07563 537872 kimchild@me.com BRIGHTON & HOVE Barbara Cooke-Hider 〉 07710 713621 babtut@gmail.com BRISTOL & NORTH SOMERSET Lynda French 〉 07740 435245 lyndafrenchacupuncture@gmail.com CAMBRIDGESHIRE & NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE Leah Claydon 〉 07555 339590 Iga Amal Czarnawska-Iliev 〉 07515 886727 cambshertsrsg@gmail.com CHESHIRE MERSEYSIDE & NORTH WALES Jackie Fairweather 〉 07398 450390 bacc.jackie@gmail.com DERBYSHIRE & NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Marianne Sterland 〉 07902 259485 mariannesterland@gmail.com DEVON & CORNWALL Robin Costello 〉 01392 424276 ancotello@yahoo.co.uk EAST SUSSEX Terry Simou 〉 07802 423127 terry@tsclinic.co.uk HAMPSHIRE Sahar Hooti 〉 020 7129 7552 info@acucareclinic.co.uk HEREFORDSHIRE & WORCESTERSHIRE Debbie Smith 〉 01544 327447 58debbs@gmail.com HERTFORDSHIRE & ESSEX Manvinder Hutchings 〉 07940 345203 vindy.hutchings@gmail.com LANCASHIRE Sandra Hart 〉 07908 806027 sandra@tonicacu.co.uk Larissa Mosca 〉 07917 290899 baccnorthwestrg@gmail.com

LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND Catherine Esworthy 〉 07547 054666 cath@catherineesworthy.co.uk LINCOLNSHIRE Jackie Betts 〉 07515 740512 jackiebetts17@gmail.com LONDON NORTH & NORTH WEST Michelle Dawes-Jenkins 〉 07775 273399 Stacey Chapman 〉 09710 468850 nnwlondonregionalgroup@gmail.com LONDON SOUTH EAST Susana Pires 〉 07985 448102 susana@fertilitypoint.co.uk LONDON SOUTH WEST & CENTRAL Sarah Joseph 〉 07553 636841 info@acupuntureaccess.co.uk LONDON WEST Susanne Weichhardt 〉 07411 009595 susanne_weichhardt@yahoo.com Natalie Johnson 〉 07444 919040 roseacupuncture@yahoo.com NORFOLK Rebecca Geanty 〉 01603 514195 Alan Longcroft 〉 07745 149735 baccnorfolkregionalgroup@gmail.com NORTH EAST ENGLAND Michael Ranft 〉 07518 529234 michael@northumberland-acupuncture.com NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Philip Rose-Neil 〉 07913 641515 phil.roseneil@gmail.com Spod Dutton 〉 01933 779973 spod@modern-acupuncture.co.uk NORTHERN IRELAND Susan Evans 〉 07966 885894 sueacupuncture@gmail.com SCOTLAND: ABERDEEN & NORTH Sheila Harper 〉 07796 574625 sheila-harper@hotmail.co.uk SCOTLAND: EDINBURGH & SOUTH EAST Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott 〉 07950 012501 jncw@enhc.co.uk Angela MacLean 〉 07956 363507 info@limethistle.co.uk SHROPSHIRE Sherrie Thorley 〉 07856 177897 sherrietacu@gmail.com SOMERSET Amanda Rothwell 〉 07779 101095 amanda@chaliceleazeclinic.co.uk Kay Hay 〉 07882 793528 kay.hay@outlook.com SUFFOLK Michaela Storer 〉 01359 408011 mstorer.suffolk.bacc@gmail.com SURREY Sarah Casbolt 〉 07714 721969 sarah@acupuncturehealthcare.co.uk WARWICKSHIRE Kathleen Conway 〉 07813 120747 kath.acup2015@gmail.com Heather Adams 〉 07929 260039 aloeheather@yahoo.co.uk

WILTSHIRE Susie Parkinson 〉 07706 650101 susie@downtonacupuncture.co.uk Kay Hay 〉 07882 793528 kay.hay@outlook.com YORKSHIRE WEST Caitlin Allen 〉 07971 927675 acupuncture@caitlinallen.co.uk Rachael Hardiman 〉 07951 762861 acupuncturerachael@gmail.com WALES: SOUTH WEST Rachel Edney 〉 07815 097473 rachel@racheledney.co.uk

Classifieds SUBMISSIONS Acu. is for you and by you, so we invite you all to share your opinions, knowledge and images in these pages: • articles can be up to 1,800 words, letters up to 500 • please use generic terms rather than brand names where applicable • submissions are published subject to space • we may edit for length or clarity with permission of the author We reserve the right to edit or decline any submission in which the content: • may be in breach of libel laws • may damage the reputation of the BAcC or its members • denigrates another individual or organisation • is found to be inaccurate or misleading • is considered to be inappropriate to the profession And if you have something to say but you don’t feel confident as a writer, the editorial team is here to help you work your thoughts into a finished piece.

Send your copy for the next issue of Acu. to editor@acupuncture.org.uk

For up-to-date classified adverts and free posting for members go to the member website Community 〉 Forum 〉 Advertisements

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES LONDON SE22 Acupuncturist required to join busy and expanding practice in East Dulwich, specialising in women’s health. Experience with gynaecology, fertility and obstetrics is essential. Please email info@conceive. org.uk, or call Claire on 07957 641946, if you are interested.

FOR RENT

BACC OFFICE MARK BOVEY Research Manager 020 8735 1203 m.bovey@acupuncture.org.uk HANNAH BOWIE-CARLIN Safe Practice Officer 020 8735 1226 h.bowie-carlin@acupuncture.org.uk GLORIA JEAN-BAPTISTE FLAMENT Systems & Operations Manager 020 8735 1217 gloria.jbf@acupuncture.org.uk ANN GORDON Publications Manager 020 8735 1204 a.gordon@acupuncture.org.uk

CARLISLE Acupuncturist/osteopath wishes to pass on goodwill and 4,000 patient list to right person. No charge.

Beautiful clinic to rent. Currently three days’ work with potential for growth. 5-Element acupuncture + cranial/functional approach, some structural work.

Enquiries: fcarson@naturaltherapy.org.uk – https:// naturaltherapy.org.uk

CAROLINE JONES Professional Conduct Officer 020 8735 1213 c.jones@acupuncture.org.uk

ESSEX Successful acupuncture clinic in yoga/Pilates studio – running for ten-plus years. Due to relocation of our therapist, there is an opportunity to hire our therapy room at our friendly studio in Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1DJ. Email wellbeing@shambhalastudios.com – www. shambhalastudios.com

ANNA MASSEY Communications Officer 020 8735 1216 a.massey@acupuncture.org.uk

ADVERTISING

FIONA LAM Learning & Events Manager 020 8735 1222 f.lam@acupuncture.org.uk

JENNIFER NORTON Chief Executive 020 8735 1206 j.norton@acupuncture.org.uk STEPHEN RAINBIRD Membership Manager 020 8735 1208 s.rainbird@acupuncture.org.uk

For full details of our advertising policy, guidelines and rates, please contact editor@acupuncture.org.uk

JULIANA ZIPPERLIN Finance Manager 020 8735 1201 j.zipperlin@acupuncture.org.uk

NB Whenever we edit or decline a submission we keep full records of our decision and all relevant correspondence.

Contribute!

Your Acu.

In spring we will look to the future seeing the potential in our Covid-changed world for new growth, fresh opportunities, and for acupuncture to take its rightful place as a valued and respected form of healthcare.

Issue #30...

Send your thoughts on the prospects for acupuncture in the time to come, the place of ambition in our practices and profession, the importance of assertion and striving as part of a balanced psyche, or any other aspect of aspiration to editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

FIRST AID TRAINING & CPD COURSES

HOLOS HEALTHCARE & TRAINING Ltd / EASTWEST HEALTHCARE

www.holoshealthcare.com OPEN EFAW COURSES 1-day Level 2 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) courses: ¨ Blended learning ½ day online + ½ day practical; ¨ Practical elements held regularly at London, Bristol, Malvern, Reading & Leamington venues. ¨ Cost £80 per person + VAT

www.eastwesthealth-hub.com

ONSITE EFAW FIRST AID COURSES at your clinic / venue start at £50 per person + travelling & VAT (minimum size 7 people)

CPD COURSES Modular 3 Day course on treating Musculoskeletal MSK Conditions – an Integrated Approach incl. Channel Theory, Pricking the Vessels, Gua Sha, Muscle Energy Techniques & Orthopaedic testing.

Limited class size. £100 p.p / per day

¨ East West Healthcare was formed in 2004 by Alex BRAZKIEWICZ (a Paramedic, Acupuncturist, Tuina practitioner, Lecturer and Osteopath) to run alongside his other company Holos Healthcare & Training. ¨ He has been teaching First Aid for over 30 years and has studied Classical Chinese Medicine & Channel Theory in Beijing with Prof Wang Ju Yi, Gua Sha under Arya Nielsen PhD and MSK with Phil McQueen ¨ East West & Holos deliver HIGH QUALITY First Aid training in a FUN and INFORMATIVE WAY at a FAIR PRICE. ¨ East West also delivers CPD TRAINING for Healthcare Professionals in Leamington, London, Brighton, Reading and York Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

MENTORING/SUPERVISION The following practitioners have all completed Postgraduate training in mentoring/supervision specifically for acupuncturists and are in continuing supervision with Isobel Cosgrove, Sally Blades or Alison Gould Contact your nearest practitioner to join a group, or for individual sessions Argyll, West Coast of Scotland Emma Vaughan 01546 606611

Hertfordshire cont.

Helen Thomas 07790 363867

Birmingham Lucy Fox 0121 449 9500

Hertfordshire/ St Albans Sarah Barnard 07968 140516

Holly Timmermans 0121 449 9500 Bristol & North Somerset Charlotte Brydon-Smith 07900 814100

Herefordshire & Welsh Borders Sandy Sandaver 01497 821625

Jackie Pamment 01934 876558

Ireland Susan Evans 07966 885894

Cambridge Frankie Luckock 07717 285248

Lancashire Cathy Chapman 01524 67707

Essex Lorna Withers 07960 852338 Hampshire & Surrey Irina Bogdanova 07747 775362 Hertfordshire Kate Henley 07887 565174 Gail Lazarus 07946 231075

Leamington Spa & the Midlands Debbie Collins 07960 040985

London cont.

Kim Chan 07947 361021 Mina Haeri 07957 726072 Pia Huber 07719 987933 Angelika Strixner 07791 516733

Oxfordshire & Berkshire Frances Turner 07510 710245 Reading Magda Koc 0118 996 8574 Sheffield & South Yorkshire Di Shimell 07866 417830

London & Brighton Somerset & Dorset Sarah Matheson Jane Robinson 07808 633643 01935 422488 London & Wales Audley Parry Burnett 07980 986808 Manchester/Cheshire/ Lancashire Joshua Enkin 0161 434 0195 Mid & West Norfolk Kate Stewart 07899 953806

Leicestershire & East Midlands Cath Esworthy 07547 054666

North Yorkshire Julie Williams 07512 304444

London Jane Broughton 07957 362180

Oxford Sue Pennington 01865 776759

South West England Sally Blades 07896 369885 Sarah Horswell 07981 141410 Watford Mary Hurley 01923 240793 West Yorkshire Caitlin Allen 07971 927675 Naomi Nash 07725 842979 York Alison Gould 01904 421032

“ As practitioners we offer our patients guidance, support and encouragement – it seems a good idea to offer it to ourselves” Isobel Cosgrove www.mentoringsupervision.org Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine Diploma Courses In 2021 we are running four 1-year diploma courses.

We are maintaining covid-secure distancing guidelines in the college. To find out more about the measures we have in place, please contact us.

Earlybird rates apply if you book onto a course in advance.

Paediatrics

Proposed start: February 2021

Rebecca Avern, Danny Blyth, Lynn Diskin & Julian Scott This in-depth course will enable you to expand your practice to treat the whole family. It will prepare you to treat babies, children and teenagers for a wide range of physical, mental and emotional conditions.

You will be part of a small class, where the emphasis is on making the classes informative, collaborative and supportive.

There will be ongoing class support when you start treating children.

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine 19 Castle Street Reading RG1 7SB admin@cicm.org.uk

Tuina

Proposed start: Spring 2021

Alex Evans, Rebecca Avern, Mandy Barter, James Unsworth & Kevin Young Develop the practical skills and techniques needed to become a competent tuina practitioner.

Palpation skills, structural analysis and learning to match techniques with diagnosis, will enable you to differentiate pathologies and use tuina as a stand-alone therapy or as an adjunct to your acupuncture practice.

Gynaecology, Fertility and Obstetrics

Proposed start: May 2021

Clare Venter-Smith, Rebecca Avern, Sarah Budd, Kim Chan, Jill Glover & Sharon Yelland This course covers the diagnosis and treatment of women: from pre-conception, to pregnancy

related conditions, to post-birth replenishment.

The course will fully equip you to increase your effectiveness and confidence in treating these issues.

Nutrition: Introduction to Chinese Dietary Therapy

New to our programme Proposed start: Spring 2021

Danny Blyth & Greg Lampert This online course will give you a better understanding of food and an in-depth knowledge of Chinese dietary principles.

You will also learn about the digestive system in Western nutritional theory, including the microbiome.

Suitable nutritional support, together with other lifestyle changes, enables us to achieve better clinical results in our acupuncture practice and helps patients to engage with achieving better health for themselves.

It also allows us to stay healthy as practitioners too.

To find out more and book online go to cicm.org.uk or call us on 0118 950 8880 Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Exclusive to BAcC members

Use the Voucher CA20 to receive 20% off the recommended price

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Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

The Third Toyohari Training Programme in the UK

NEW DATES April – November 2021

Neil T : 07773 331807 E : ebtasecretary@outlook.com W : www.toyohari.org.uk

Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

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LAUNCHING OUR UPDATED RANGE OF HIGH QUALITY ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES

Scarboroughs offer BAcC members an exclusive 20% discount

BAcC approved Suppliers ● CJ: 100 needles. Single wrap with guide tube, Chinese style copper wound handle with loop ● CJ500: 500 needles. Cost effective reduced packaging option. 5 needles to a blister with one guide tube ● JJ: 100 needles. Single wrap with guide tube, Japanese style metal tube handle 20% discount code: BACC TRUSTED BRAND | FULL SIZE RANGE | ELECTRO ACUPUNCTURE COMPATIBLE

Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine

Su Wen Press

A Comprehensive Guide

2ND EDITION

by Giovanni Maciocia®

“ This book is an essential

clinical reference for all practitioners and it is surely the most important book on Chinese medicine to be published in the last ten years.

”

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE

Written by world-renowned author and teacher Giovanni Maciocia®, Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive, highly illustrated and easy-to-understand resource.

With a focus on clear interpretations of ‘real world’ signs and symptoms, this new edition addresses the practice beyond the theory and leads you through both basic and sophisticated levels of diagnostic interpretation.

This practical resource helps students and practitioners alike carefully interpret a wide range of diagnostic nuances.

To purchase Giovanni Maciocia’s titles, at the lowest UK prices, please visit: suwenpress.co.uk

Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

NEW Ecologically packaged needles with plastic-free guide tubes – the eco-friendliest needles on the market Together we can make a difference ●

Guide Tube: We have replaced the plastic guide tube with bamboo sourced from sustainably managed forests and 100% biodegradable.

Our tubes are individually protected in Glassine paper which is 100% recyclable and will decompose into just CO2 and water.

●

Sterilisation: We are using Gamma Ray sterilisation which is cleaner and safer than traditional E.O. gas and provides a 5 year shelf-life, reducing wastage of outdated needles.

NEEDLE STYLES AVAILABLE:

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Packaging: Our needle packaging is now 100% recyclable. We are using a combination of PE (polythene) and paper for the backing and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for the front combined, with Glassine paper.

This not only makes it recyclable but reduces the packaging weight by 80%.

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Needles: Using the highest grade surgical stainless steel and the latest automated production equipment ensures consistent high-quality sharpness of the needle tip. Our needles are coated in Dow Corning MDX4-4159 50% medical grade dispersion.

Balance Healthcare

in association with JCM

We donate will 2 each bo 0p from x sold t o Chin

ese M Forestr edicine y Trust The Chin ese promote Medicine Fore s st species planetary, hum ry Trust he an planting alth and welln and ess by trees an d pro forests throug tecting the worl hout d.

Traditional Chinese style handle with loop 500 needles per box 5 needles per pouch 20 bamboo guide tubes Korean style handle 1000 needles per box 10 needles per pouch 20 bamboo guide tubes Japanese style plastic handle Under development.

Availability estimated March 2020 Bamboo tubes can be purchased separately

Visit: www.jcm.co.uk/econeedlepackaging to be kept up to date with our ongoing eco developments

The solution is less pollution Balance@jcm_WP Eco Needles Ad_JCM.indd 1

Disclaimer: Articles, letters, advertisements and any other material published in Acu. does not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council.

Advertising guidelines are available from editor@acupuncture.org.uk

27/01/2020 17:59

Acu. | Issue #29 | Winter 2020

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EAST ENGLAND & MIDLANDS Balquees Ali 〉 01484 541095/07958 202313 alibalquees@gmail.com

MENTORING & SUPERVISION

Contact details listed below are for BAcC registered mentors/supervisors who charge for their service

LONDON NORTH WEST Naava Carman 〉 0345 310 5354 naava@fertilitysupport.co.uk LONDON SOUTH, SOUTH WEST, WEST & EAST Mina Haeri 〉 07957 726072 info@minahaeriacupuncture.co.uk LONDON WEST & CENTRAL Kim Chan 〉 07947 361021 kimsclinic@icloud.com LOUGHBOROUGH, EAST MIDLANDS Catherine Esworthy 〉 07547 054666 cath@catherineesworthy.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM Lucy Fox 〉 0121 449 9500 lucy.mannion2@icloud.com

MIDLANDS & LEAMINGTON SPA Debbie Collins 〉 07960 040985 info@debbiecollins.co.uk

BRIGHTON & HOVE, LONDON WEST Sarah Matheson 〉 07808 633643 mathesonsa@gmail.com

MIDLANDS WEST & WORCESTERSHIRE Holly Timmermans 〉 0121 449 9500 holly.net1@tiscali.co.uk

BRISTOL Jill Glover 〉 0117 377 1186 acupuncture@almavalecentre.co.uk

MIDLANDS & YORKSHIRE WEST, SOUTH & NORTH Di Shimell 〉 07866 417830 di.shimell@gmail.com

CAMBRIDGE Frankie Luckock 〉 07771 28524 frankieluckock@me.com

NORTHERN IRELAND Susan Evans 〉 07966 885894 sueacupuncture@gmail.com

CHESHIRE, LIVERPOOL, NORTH WALES & MERSEYSIDE Lucy Griffiths 〉 07712 462743 LGTCMA@gmail.com

OXFORD Sue Pennington 〉 01865 776759 suepennington@gmail.com

DEVON, CORNWALL EAST, DORSET WEST Sally Blades 〉 07896 369885 sallyeblades@hotmail.com Sarah Horswell 〉 07981 141410 sarahhorswell@gmail.com HAMPSHIRE SOUTH, DORSET, ISLE OF WIGHT Carole Parker 〉 07594 586821 carole.acupuncture@hotmail.co.uk HERTFORDSHIRE & SURROUNDING AREAS Helen Thomas 〉 07790 363867 helenthomastcm@aol.com HERTFORDSHIRE, ST ALBANS Sarah Barnard 〉 07968 140516 s.h.barnard@btinternet.com LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Cathy Chapman 〉 01524 67707 castleviewclinic@hotmail.co.uk LEEDS, WEST YORKSHIRE Caitlin Allen 〉 07971 927675 acupuncture@caitlinallen.co.uk LONDON Jane Broughton 〉 07957 362180 jane@nottinghillacupuncture.com LONDON CENTRAL & LONDON SOUTH EAST Doug Foot 〉 07818 068262 dougfoot@gmail.com LONDON GREATER Pia Huber 〉 07719 987933 info@help2helpyourself.co.uk LONDON NORTH EAST Maggie Bavington 〉 07802 954490 maggiebavington@gmail.com LONDON NORTH, FINCHLEY CENTRAL & HERTFORD Angelika Strixner 〉 07791 516733 strixner_craniosacral@hotmail.com LONDON NORTH & HERTFORDSHIRE Mary Hurley 〉 01923 240793 mary@maryhurley.com

OXFORDSHIRE SOUTH Frances Turner 〉 07510 710245 francesturner.info@gmail.com SOMERSET, DORSET & WILTSHIRE Jane Robinson 〉 07968 182455 jane@ninespringsclinic.org SOMERSET NORTH EAST & WILTSHIRE Teresa Jane Syed 〉 07726 512868 info@radiant-body.co.uk SUSSEX EAST, LONDON Amanda Edward 〉 07703 561616 amanda@awakentoheal.com YORK Alison Gould 〉 07792 596262 alisonjgould@aol.com YORKSHIRE WEST Joanne Dyson 〉 07798 627037 acumedica@gmail.com

Community

47

Staying connected Whether you have been in practice a few months, years or decades, lockdown continues to present each and everyone of us with new challenges.

Staying connected to colleagues in the supervision network and register has provided light in the darker moments of 2020. In groups and one to one, on the phone and online, or FaceTime, we reach out and support each other.

We have shared laughter and tears, insights and fears. We have discovered new ways to stay working with patients, written blogs and had evening conference discussions. You name it, we have tried it.

While acupuncture clinics were closed, all of us lost income. In response, supervisors we know have offered some free sessions to those very short of money. And most supervisors have made other sessions available at a fee the practitioner can afford. Just talk with one and see what you can arrange together.

Recent support offered has been mostly focused on how we can manage the professional and financial impact of lockdown. What has been most important, in contact between practitioners, is the sense of not being alone with these new challenges.

Staying in touch with colleagues, and hearing from each other about creative ways of moving forward into practice again, is both reassuring and inspiring.

So please reach out, online or on the phone, to a supervisor near you who has been fully trained to support you and listen to you. And very best wishes to you all in every next stage of our journeys together.

Isobel Cosgrove & Sally Blades

POSTGRADUATE

LOANS AVAILABLE

COVERING MUCH OF THE COURSE COST

MSc/PGDip in

Chinese Herbal Medicine Starting September 2021

NOW TAUGHT MOSTLY ONLINE

NCA MSc graduate Phil Trubshaw: I always reaffirm that studying Chinese Herbal Medicine at the NCA is the best thing I’ve ever done.

I’ve found practising Chinese Herbal Medicine has enhanced my practice greatly. There are a number of local acupuncturists who refer patients to me for herbs, as well as those seeking herbs coming directly to me. Combining herbs and acupuncture has enhanced results and given me a new insight into the practice of Chinese medicine as a whole.

Find out more: BOOK YOUR PLACE ON OUR ONLINE EVENING Q&A AND PRESENTATION Meet staff, students and graduates

Wednesday 10th February 7.00pm - 8:30pm NCAYORK @YorkNCA

Call Denise on: +44 (0) 1904 343309 www.nca.ac.uk