Acu. Winter 2021

Essence News

Renewing your membership

Practice

Growing the acupuncture research Best buy air purifier Small changes, big impact Working with jing in the bones

Inspiration Just my point: REN 7 Chinese lesson: kong On the couch 9000 Needles By members, for members Acupuncture Quarterly from the BAcC | Winter 2021

Opinion Informed consent within our profession How do we understand spirit?

Community When the wind of change blows Conference 2021 reviews Three fine fellows Contemplating mentoring-supervision

FREOEURSE

ONLINE

C

ne ess to o Free acc ni’s online n of Giova on TCM s e s r u o c ry with eve * order

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 (copy editor) Jonquil Westwood Pinto (member) Steve Wheeler (member, chair)

Design Whirligig Creative

Cover Tim Brown

Copy & publishing dates 2022 Issue Spring Summer Autumn Winter

Copy deadline Published 14 January 11 March 14 April 13 June 14 July 9 September 14 October 9 December

Steve Wheeler Member: West Wales

In the spring of 2014, I attended my first editorial meeting for The Acupuncturist

by Skyping in (that’s what we called ‘Zooming’ in those days) from the garden of the Tai Chi temple at which I was studying, located on a volcanic lake in central Guatemala. Being on central Guatemalan time, I had to get up around 4am to do so and, after a couple of hours, when the sun came up, people in the meeting back in London began to ask: ‘Steve, is that… a rooster I can hear?!’

From such auspicious beginnings I have served on the Editorial Committee for nearly eight years.

In 2015, my esteemed predecessor Danny Maxwell stood down as chair of the Committee and, like a young Brian Johnson, I attempted to fill his capacious shoes. Since then, multiple BAcC chairs and CEOs have come and gone, The Acupuncturist has become Acu., and we have produced dozens of magazines designed for and featuring the BAcC membership.

Having begun my tenure in that spring pre-dawn garden, it feels appropriate that it is as we are drawing towards the deep yin of winter that I announce I am hanging up my editorial hat and stepping down from the EdComm – ‘to spend more time with my acupuncture practice’, as the saying possibly goes. While there will always be a part of me that wants to stay on for just one more issue, the timing feels right – not only because I have been able to help produce the magazine through the last two strange years, but because the road ahead for Acu., in whatever form it takes, will require some fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm.

I’m very proud of all we have done in the last eight years – the transition into Acu. and the subsequent ongoing tweaks and improvements have resulted in a magazine that I believe informs, explores and showcases the best of our

profession and, I am told, is looked upon with no little envy by other professional bodies. I’m particularly proud of the inclusion of more ‘long reads’ – the in-depth, sometimes intellectually challenging pieces that make the most of the opportunity of print to dig deeper into history, theory and practice. I have written a fair few of my own over the years, and have taken brazen advantage of Editor’s Privilege to include one more in this issue.

While I take my leave of you, I leave you in excellent hands: the current team will no doubt continue to bring you the best of news, reviews, opinion, case studies and practice tips in their own inimitable style – and I look forward to seeing who they choose to replace me with! In the meantime, you have one more contentpacked issue featuring my suspiciously youthful face (like all good journalists, I have ‘accidentally’ failed to update my byline photograph in the last eight years…). In these pages you will find Felicity Moir’s reflections on the spirit, Megan Reynolds on informed consent in practice and a review of the film 9000 Needles, along with all the usual columns and features, including a special holiday WebWatch with no mention of you-know-what.

As the owls of retirement cry out the falling of dusk on my tenure, it only remains to thank my EdComm colleagues past and present for all their hard work and inspiration, as well as the tireless forces that bring this magazine into being: Ann Gordon, Ann’s predecessor Sue Quirk, Joan Maynard, and our amazing designer Martin. And, of course to thank you all for your ongoing attention as readers, without which everything we do would be quite literally pointless. À bientôt!

Keynotes ‘Winter is a season of recovery and preparation’ Paul Theroux With every winter I'm always reminded of this quote from Paul Theroux. For us at the BAcC it's time to take stock and reflect on our achievements in 2021 and to prepare for all of the work yet to come in 2022.

As we move into this winter season we take the time to think again about where we started the year, supporting members in practice and reviewing every changing government announcement about the pandemic so that you could focus on treating your patients. We assessed what was possible and provided help and guidance through this unprecedented time in all our lives.

In spring we launched our new strategy, taking your views into account, and each of us in-house making the aim of ‘putting members at the heart of everything we do’ our own personal mantra. Launching our extensive survey, the first since 2017, gave us a clear, unbiased understanding of your requirements and needs. Based on this we took down our old broken website in the summer and launched a smaller cleaner interim site to fulfil your needs until our larger site can be launched in 2022.

Thinking green, we have moved away from paper-based working and have urged members to take up electronic versions of all our documentation, including Acu. Steve Wheeler, chair of our Acu. editorial team, has served this publication since 2014 and I know members will join with me to thank him for all of his work over the last nine years, including eight years as chair, to bring this inspiring publication to members.

In September we brought back the conference, hosting over 200 delegates and speakers for a truly collaborative online celebration of our profession.

I want to thank all those involved in creating such a successful event.

Other activities throughout the year included: continued collaboration with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM); nurturing a burgeoning relationship with the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) and the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP); maintaining our Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accreditation for the eighth year in a row; promotion of the efficacy of acupuncture and lobbying of governments. Closer to home have been our ‘Let’s talk about…’ campaigns, discounts for members, and support through numerous webinars from red

flag incidents to advertising to name a few. For more details, please have a look at our Achievements 2021 page in the membership section of the website.

In winter, like nature we root down and begin preparations for the year to come.

In 2022 we will create and launch a more interactive platform for Acu. along with the launch of our new website.

First look at this new platform is really impressive, allowing you to take control and maintain your membership online through a personalised dashboard. This is a really exciting development in the support we provide for you, allowing us to give a much more personalised service unique to you as a member.

Our popular campaigns and webinars will continue throughout next year, together with a return to in-person meetings, regional group meetings and conferences, if the pandemic allows.

We will be launching our next survey in springtime, ‘our members voice’ – we want to hear from you about how you want to contribute to the work of the BAcC and ensure that we are working with you to provide an organisation that truly reflects our entire membership. We will also continue to advocate on behalf of our members within the devolved governments.

Lastly, we will be keeping a steady eye on the pandemic as it moves into its next stage of adaptation and look after your interests so that you can continue to practise. There is so much more to come, and we are truly excited to be on this journey with you as we begin the next phase of development and support for all our members.

We will create and launch a more interactive platform for Acu. along with our new website

Jennifer Norton 〉 020 8735 1206 〉 j.norton@acupuncture.org.uk

Jennifer Norton Chief Executive

By members, for members

Issue #33 Winter 2021

News

14

6 Renewing your membership for 2022 Montana Sheikh

Practice

23

7 Growing the acupuncture research skills base Karen Charlesworth 10 Evidence base Abstracts from Lisa Sherman 12 Best buy air purifier Review from Sarah Parker 13 Small changes, big impact Joe Jennings 14 Working with jing in the bones Jasmin Reif 15 WebWatch

13 12

Inspiration 16 Just my point: REN 7 Peter Firebrace 17 Chinese lesson: kong Sandra Hill 18 Recipe for a simple breakfast Daniel Scott 18 My treatment room Maureen Froud 19 On the couch Steve Wheeler 23 9000 Needles Documentary film review by Sally Crowther

16

19

7

Opinion

Community

24 Informed consent & its place within our profession Megan Reynolds 25 The classic of difficulties Liv Inge 26 How do we understand spirit?

Felicity Moir

27 On reflection Pia Huber 28 When the wind of change blows College news from Jonathan Pledger 30 Conference 2021: Zoom in or out?

Reviews from Joanne Middleton,

Matthew Ackroyd, Lou Radford &

Felicity Moir 32 Tribute to Lillian Bridges 33 Three fine fellows for 2021 34 Contemplating mentoring-supervision 35 Office contacts 36 Catch up with the PRWG Susan Evans 37 Committee briefing 38 Classifieds & call for contributions

4

News

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

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

Your editorial team

Steve Wheeler

Houri Alavi

Jonquil Westwood Pinto

Sally Crowther

Scott Bridges

Tim Brown

Neurons identified in Virtually real Chinese acupuncture response medicine A team at Harvard Medical School have identified a subset of neurons that must be present for acupuncture to trigger an antiinflammatory response. Their study was conducted in mice, with results published in Nature. It provides ‘the first concrete, neuroanatomic explanation for acupoint selectivity and specificity’ 〉 tinyurl.com/22y328hw Nature podcast 〉 tinyurl.com/y2rxbh97 Harvard Gazette report 〉 tinyurl.com/y8fkchb5 Harvard Medical School News & Research 〉 tinyurl.com/2j386yad

Acu. is recruiting!

We're looking for two BAcC members to join our editorial team.

For full details see our ad at the end of the advertising pages and if you think it's got your name on it, drop us a line 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Wild swimmers beware!

Sewage has made for unsightly headlines lately. As the vogue for wild swimming continues to increase, it seems local rivers may not be as clean as we like to think. A public outcry followed the House of Commons refusal to force water companies to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged into the UK's rivers.

Natural History Museum news 〉 tinyurl.com/yj9pfu69 itvNEWS 〉 tinyurl.com/yckphsdz

New technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality mean methods used in TCM are now being simulated digitally and used for diagnosis and training environments like AcuMap 〉 tinyurl.com/2p872tys MedicalExpo e-magazine 〉 tinyurl.com/mvhrtjzs 〉 tinyurl.com/2p8rz5ze

A breath of fresh air Avoiding bad air – or as we might say 'Wind' – is considered essential for preventing the spread of Covid-19.

The idea of 'bad air' as a cause of disease has been around for many years, both in east and west, in Chinese medicine as well as the work of Florence Nightingale.

Once again, in more studies and a new campaign, the importance of good ventilation and mask wearing have been emphasised.

As the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic has it: ‘Treating disease after it has arisen is like starting to dig a well when one is already thirsty, or only starting to cast weapons once the battle has begun. Would these not be too late?’

So make sure you open your windows this winter!

Guardian link 〉 Government link 〉

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Lancet Countdown 2021: code red for a healthy future The Lancet Countdown 2021 report tracking the health impacts of climate change was published just ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. With their sixth annual report this international collaboration hope to highlight the connection between climate change and human health, in particular as they relate to infectious diseases, following the Covid-19 pandemic 〉 tinyurl.com/46ustr66 Krisztian Magori review for BugBitten 〉 tinyurl.com/2p9c9v8r The Wire Science 〉 tinyurl.com/2p9by5yw

Murky water everywhere & far too much to drink Where did it come from, this modern obsession we have with water consumption?

While general advice to drink more water is common across the CAM and wellness world, Chinese medicine traditionally advise caution – excess water leads to damp.

So how did bottled water transform itself from a small, European luxury item to the single largest beverage category in America? The Invention of Hydration podcast unravels the history of the invention of hydration as a commercial exercise 〉 tinyurl.com/ybeft7zr

Inspiration #32 Acu. | Issue

#32 Acu. | Issue

as reported

The Pud blog Enjoy a little taste of seasonal comfort and joy from the Pud for All Seasons with their close look and healthy spin on the traditional Christmas pudding 〉 tinyurl.com/yckx2yma

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

Time to renew your membership Monty tells you how 〉 p4 Eager to share your green tips?

Joe Jennings wants to hear from you 〉 p13 What's your take on bananas? try flipping yourself a pancake 〉 p18 Conference is back with a Zoom! delegates share their highlights 〉 p30 Action for acupuncture! five tips for members from the PRWG 〉 p36

Mushroom spotting...

17

by John Wheeler

Isn’t that barmy negative?

to prove too, trying

say that but You may comment.

I couldn’t

a

possibly

reached we nearly not. Just as Obviously People reviewed the Blood giving blood, our goal, to gay men review. in another their approach swept up so we were

Did it work?

gay men the rule on couple of But surely changed a donating blood

er (rememb years ago? long then the EU just how a decade It did, but Good grief, disappeared over review another and Blood decided to with tattooing us, asleep? They NHSBT, the NHS Blood them?) us situation that’s the them the anomalo ago when and hey presto, go… nt, let’s call coined skin piercing, ladders, down we and Transpla that the newly and practitioner’ so snakes People, decided go again. n of ‘qualified For anyone and off we EU definitio d by statute’. the patient ’, ie us, meant ‘regulate the send left the EU? ‘qualified But we’ve But we still need to ds and who wasn’t four months to donate, backwar You noticed! had to wait review bone marrow ‘deferral period’. blood and there’s now another year. so-called so a speech s later this forwards, that means se standard could buy a minute… to harmoni

Wait no training their therapist with have a go, and some needles, still donate – wherehigh patients could years training and our tell we, with threepractice, have to of barmy! standards can’t. That’s here’s the patients they

on fast. So needles?

You’re catchingwe stop reusing did deal: when

g BSE was happenin Wasn’t it 1999? which carried the ing? and the prions killed by autoclav s, guide tubes infection weren’t

has seen Are you hopeful? last decade

Hmmm, the polarisation where work some awful t doesn’t argumen heart not reasoned held in the Like thought. against positions felt but not wonder whether to the mind, idea for . You begin populism too rich an us is just . accepting to stomach some people

Congratulations to Rowena Partridge in Pembrokeshire who spotted Moxi outside The Factory on page 16 of the autumn Acu. Find winter Moxi by 7 January and let us know where 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.uk up!

you go giving don't Whoa, don’t said ‘If at first you No reusable No once WC Fields try – and then quit! you Got it in one!means?? it’. It makes also succeed, try, only. Which a fool about because Wright use being you, Stephen succeed, infect anyoneperson to from wonder. Mind you don’t We can’t cross You needle ‘If at first never goes once said isn’t for you’.the way. the needle we never touch the definitely order, by skydiving person, andwere a criminal or That’s an have to laugh. of course.

Unless you negligent, criminally London. Ours going then?

We are ity of East You’ll keep the road. It matters. stirring ent of environm the commun might s (cue To the end breathing s that the clinic Fair point my fine friend. You of our standard cut is a living, ian pose). ourselve a rightly proud think not, that a surgeon couldbe I and pride Churchill we stern t and music and ng, safe, inclusive so shouldn’ You as well argue is welcomi ’s heart out to work. a scalpel. someone system, we diverse place practise with just a booking allowed to ners, we outliers. types for We’re not practitio blood all ity of and ture Council don’t legislate Glossary for are a commun with others in mind British Acupunc rm up a fight? were BAcC ways to expand, were founded BAcC put Bovine spongifo exploring Didn’t the the point where we e the BSE are always encourag to encephalopathy is now grow. We ts and Not half, Union treatmen learn and nt correspondenceBlood People European skills and the told ‘this nal events. and Transpla EU sharing of don’t think of this enormous NHS Blood Standards ‘As tion on promotio closed’. I d it NHSBT nal collabora Professio of Maya Angelou: that being remindewith howdah (look liked words PSA In the will discover ld complete Authority Dukenfie older, you elephant one for helping you grow room.

William Claude two hands, helping others.’ up!) in the WC Fields you have for s, the other for ourselve yourself, first care If we don’t n and our peers, how love our professio cally share this do we authenti and other holistic ture public? of acupunc with the wider therapies e8.com www.acu

Need to know

we People Of course the Blood years ago to establish Then, five ioned a surveycross infections. commiss it’s weren’t any , you see; that there to have evidence We even got They have system works. us. how their to support the PSA along

I thought something?blood. We Have I missed could donate we? our patients certificates, didn’t been have you used to issue

ners to we ask practitio place to work, ethos onto someone to pass the giving otherwise be able not who might t. . afford treatmen footprint company this green for people, to We are a if you care must spread We believe awareness products we buy conscious ent. The e, our environm clinic are recyclabl the and use at reusable. or a collective refillable about building together ACU.E8 is es that grow es and business of small y to themselv and give optimall

5

them again? friends with we do. what Have we made have; it’s

ion Blood donat

Member: London

so many c changed health This pandemi ive on work, when times people’s perspect . There were nothing and freedom – everything and of still many months life stood During the of profound changed. and periods and other on-off isolation acupuncturists their uncertainty, s had to adaptof this holistic therapistIn the middle the life-pause, way of working. collective to start an existential why I wanted therapy clinic reasons behind and holistic ture acupunc more vivid. entary became muchinto the complem 2015 as a massage My journey started in Being a health sector to acupuncture. prior to help others therapist mixes a desire from the therapist skills aside – social with so manylove and trained in finding therapy you applications, reports, writing media, funding to practise, es feel somewhere list can sometim and financial etc – the to-do additional by coronavirus endless. The brought help logistical pressures how I could ners, as question made me y new practitio es while others especiall the new challeng of, love they navigate to be proud business building a clients and enjoy. of caring not only for the of The ethos ng the health of my but also prioritisi er was part able that we are l working practition plan – so and emotiona initial business the mental to best serve post Covid-19 world. e, the of differenc a ripples a clinic with a small ACU.E8 is within pop-up based in Hackney centre/event shopping boutique of The Factory. space called is key at ACU.E8 – ease er, a practition Simplicity working as to the booking andyour own set of keys within g you receive nt clinic. Everythin and equipme self-contained to use – towels, linens the room if you prefer or to to use. Or coding – is yours towels – colourlook to how you your own theme or is also a laundry have a special space – there d at a small set out the are laundere the next service. Towels back ready for cost and broughter is in the clinic. me – manager time a practition a clinic There is alsohelp with the clinic, for growth, etc.

– on hand business emergencies, ethical business s s therapist ACU.E8 promote t to the ask our resident treatmen values. We ly reduced rate to offer a are struggling financial return public who they feel able to. In e if and affordabl per week, l, spacious for a beautifu

How can acupuncturists be part of the solution instead of the problem?

How do we keep our profession, our practices, and our selves in good health in the decades to come? The BAcC would love to hear what you are doing to improve your carbon footprint at work and in the home. Send us your ideas and and we'll feature your tips in enews for others to share 〉 info@acupuncture.org.uk

Member in Cardigan picks up Moxi t-shirt

2021 | Autumn

Inspiration

ent room My treatm Joanna Wragg

16

2021 | Autumn

Inner Pass s Note

Low-impact living & working

News

... writes Yvette Masure, in the season of colour, crisp and fresh walks, forest bathing, even the birds are still singing.

Glorious. Though cold winds and rain no doubt follow... enjoy while and when, we can. Someone once said you cannot enjoy spring until you have (suffered) embraced winter. Family home fires.

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

6

News

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Renewing your membership for 2022 Montana Sheikh brings you the latest on membership actions, plans and offerings

Montana Sheikh Membership Engagement Officer ‘What on earth is membership renewal all about if I don’t need to sign anything?’

In this edition of your membership news, we are here to explain what your membership renewal is for, why we do it and what you need to do.

Why do I have to renew my membership?

Our annual membership renewal is an opportunity both for members and the BAcC to ensure that our records are up to date, that we are all compliant with the requirements of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) and that all members are meeting the same professional standards.

In practice, that breaks down into four elements: 1. Compliance with the mandatory declaration, including continuing professional development (CPD), BAcC Codes and Covid-19 Guidelines.

2. Updating changes in professional status and health.

3. Confirmation of payment preference for membership subscription.

4. Updating changes to contact information.

Your membership renewals email will ask you about all four areas listed above.

Do I have to fill in a form?

We have made the actual process of renewing your membership as simple as possible.

There is no requirement to sign anything, complete forms or post any paperwork. Simply by continuing in membership into 2022, you confirm that you are compliant with the requirements of the BAcC Codes and PSA standards.

If you have a direct debit in place, this too will just continue, there is no need to set up a new mandate for the new year.

How do I know if I am compliant with the mandatory declaration?

The BAcC mandatory declaration consists of agreements regarding criminal or professional disciplinary proceedings, your health and fitness to practise and your engagement in CPD. It also covers your agreement to follow

the BAcC Covid-19 guidelines and the BAcC codes of practice – ie professional conduct, safe practice and safe practice clinical self-audit. There is no need to sign the mandatory declaration.

If you would like to have a read of the mandatory declaration ahead of your membership renewal, you can find this by clicking on the Membership tab on the website.

What do I need to do?

When your renewal email arrives, have a read through it paying particular interest to the following three items: Fitness to practise: If you have undergone any criminal or professional proceedings in 2021, or if you have had any health concerns the BAcC should be aware of this year, you should let Caroline Jones, the professional conduct officer, know directly 〉 c.jones@acupuncture.org.uk Payment preference: The renewal email will contain information about your current membership fee status and the payment preference we currently have on file for you.

Let us know if you would like to set up a new payment preference for 2022, for example if would you like to start paying for your membership by quarterly direct debit.

If you are happy with your current payment preference, there is nothing more for you to do.

Contact information: In the email, we will also detail the contact and practice information we have on file for you.

Let us know if your contact and/or practice information needs updating. If all is correct with no changes needed, there is nothing more for you to do.

How about my record keeping?

At the same time as ensuring all our records are up to date, the BAcC renewals process is as much a chance for members to review their own record keeping.

In case you are asked to provide information for the BAcC’s annual mandatory declaration audit, below is a checklist of documents you need to ensure are up to date:

•

• • • •

records of local authority registration documents or where appropriate, evidence that you have contacted them advising that you are practising and exempt evidence of hazardous waste collection arrangements safe practice clinical self-audit fire safety audit evidence of having completed your 30 hours CPD for 2021

By taking this opportunity to doublecheck you have all your records in place, you should then be able to complete any audit very easily.

What if I need to know more?

The membership renewals process is an important time of year in the membership calendar. It is our version of a spring clean, a way to ensure that both members and the BAcC are on the same page about their membership as we head into 2022.

We have tried to make renewing your BAcC membership as straightforward as possible, but if you have any questions about the documents mentioned above, the process itself or your membership in general, please do just let us know by email.

Montana Sheikh or Stephen Rainbird 〉 membership@acupuncture.org.uk

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Practice

7

Growing the acupuncture research skills base Karen Charlesworth writes about the aim of the Northern College of Acupuncture, where she is research director, to help acupuncturists to upskill in research

Karen Charlesworth Member: North Yorkshire The late, great Professor Hugh MacPherson – globally renowned for his work in acupuncture research – believed that high-quality evidence was one of the most important ways that traditional acupuncture could claim acceptance in mainstream healthcare.

‘Whatever the sceptics say, it’s widely accepted that traditional acupuncture is a very effective form of medicine for a lot of different conditions,’ he said in an interview in 2016. ‘And it's research that’s done that. It’s shaken up a lot of assumptions and prejudices, created a lot of opportunities, and it’s given us a credibility that we didn’t previously have.’

But Hugh was also the first to point out that it’s not easy for acupuncturists to do research: ‘In general, people come into acupuncture to do acupuncture, not necessarily to ask questions about how it works and what it’s good at treating,’ he said. ‘And if they do want to ask those questions, it’s a difficult journey. It’s hard for them to gain the research skills they need, and compared with conventional medicine it’s also hard to come by funding for research into acupuncture, certainly in the UK.’ If acupuncture was taught more in universities, he believed, there would be more accessible pathways to skills and funding, ‘and that would give us a good research skills base in the profession, which would in turn contribute to a strong evidence base and increase acupuncture’s credibility.’

In 1988, Hugh co-founded the Northern College of Acupuncture (NCA) in his adopted home city of York – to train acupuncture practitioners, of course, but also to provide more of those accessible pathways to research skills, and so to build the evidence base.

Fast-forward 30-odd years and I’ve become the college’s current research director. I’m proud to say that we’re still turning out cohorts of students who are true to Hugh’s original vision of ‘the research-literate practitioner’.

That means a practitioner who’s not

only equipped to understand and critique the evidence base, but also has the skills to actually carry out their own research.

My job is basically to get as many people as possible excited about acupuncture research, and to contribute to a vibrant, diverse and reflexively critical research culture at the College and in our professions. It can be a challenge because research scares some people, while others don’t see it as relevant – and lots of our students start out convinced that they’ll never understand the maths! But it’s a point of honour for us that almost everyone who graduates from NCA carries away not only a sound understanding of p-values and confidence intervals – but also, much more importantly, an enthusiasm about what research can achieve for the profession, plus the skills to contribute to the evidence base if they choose.

In 2022, NCA will mark its 34th year as an acupuncture educator – and our research programme has never been stronger. We invite all acupuncturists and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners to engage with those parts of our research programme that inspire them. Summaries of our student/staff research and our annual Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture are freely available to all, while our annual research conference is now online so we can make it available to a wider audience. Our college principal, Richard Blackwell, comments: ‘By making a broad programme of events and engagement widely available to practitioners, we hope to contribute to the richness of research activity within our professions, and to grow the evidence base.’

If you’ve got a good idea…

Getting people excited about acupuncture research doesn’t just mean the NCA’s own students and alumni. As an educational charity, one of the college’s objectives is ‘to provide

The late Professor Hugh MacPherson, NCA co-founder and leading acupuncture researcher: more than 30 years later, NCA courses are still organised around Hugh’s concept of ‘the researchliterate practitioner’

for, promote and engage in research into the science and art of traditional Chinese medicine’. The College has just launched its Research Support scheme, which we ultimately hope to make available to non-NCA researchers as well as our own graduates. The aim is to provide support for would-be researchers to design and carry out a high-quality project that reaches scientifically robust conclusions, and then to support its publication.

The scheme covers supervision, mentoring, use of software and secure data storage, ethics review and the opportunity to apply for the college’s separate Support for Publication scheme. Candidates discuss their idea with a panel of NCA research staff, and submit a proposal setting out the key parameters of their project. For practitioners who want to engage in research but don’t know where or how to go about it, it’s a great starting point.

8

Practice

It’s also very much in the spirit of Hugh MacPherson. It probably won’t surprise anyone to know that Hugh counted himself a bit of a Marxist, and when it came to the subject of intellectual capital he would paraphrase Das Kapital: ‘Who owns the means of production of knowledge?’. He used to answer that by saying everyone should co-own the means of production of knowledge, of course. With this scheme, the College is aiming to give everyone who wants it a share in the means of production of knowledge, by giving them the support, expertise, ethics support and supervision to create new knowledge in the field of acupuncture research.

More information about the scheme can be found on the NCA website, and we are keen to hear from BAcC members with ideas for research projects 〉 nca.ac.uk/research/support/scheme The College also has a strong tradition of supporting more experienced researchers who are not affiliated to universities – or who would benefit from support to develop a project.

One current example is the work of BAcC members Nick Lowe and Spod Dutton, developers of the Acu-Track clinical outcomes tracking app. AcuTrack collects clinical outcomes data from acupuncturists and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners to provide datasets that can be analysed to demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbs. The NCA’s Research Ethics Committee is working with Nick and Spod to ensure the ethical basis on which the AcuTrack software operates, and giving the necessary ethical approvals for publication in peer-reviewed journals. We’ve been very pleased to support Acu-Track – not least because it provides a level of engagement with acupuncture research for busy practitioners.

Student research

Our students are at the heart of our research culture at NCA. In particular, our MSc students are encouraged to take a ‘research year' to design, carry out and write up their own research project. We had a very exciting clutch of projects submitted this year, many of which are headed for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Here are some examples: Nicola Wardhaugh was inspired by the acupuncture clinic set up in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, conducting a series of qualitative interviews with patients on the effects of acupuncture.

Patients reported symptomatic improvements to mental and physical health, but also wider biopsychosocial effects known as Whole Person Effects, a concept drawn and further developed from the work of researcher Charlotte Paterson.

Laurie Heaps surveyed UK acupuncturists on the subject of the dose-levels used to treat endometriosis-

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 related symptoms. Laurie examined data given by 49 respondents on number and frequency of treatments, acupuncture points used, timing of treatments in relation to the menstrual cycle, and co-interventions.

Nora Giese also focused on endometriosis, carrying out a literature review and a Delphi consensus study on acupuncture for pelvic pain associated with the condition. She drew together the findings of 16 relevant papers and 20 acupuncturists, finding a range of acupuncture styles, points, treatment frequencies and durations, and supplementary therapeutic modalities were used and recommended in clinical practice.

Anita Lienhard surveyed Swiss

Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture

fertility physicians’ opinions regarding TCM as an adjuvant therapy, using framework analysis to analyse six in-depth interviews. She found that in general, fertility physicians were positive about TCM, appreciating the holistic approach and engaging with the emotional dimensions of fertility treatments.

Hemed Tov considered acupuncture patients’ ability to detect the effect of a specific point, and the explanations given by acupuncturists for this. Five practitioners were interviewed, and the range of explanations included physical feedback from needling, familiarity of the point and the practitioner’s attentiveness to the body.

Svetlana Wise took the subject of scalp acupuncture and conducted a scoping review to identify the range of scalp acupuncture systems, systematically summarising their anatomical and clinical characteristics.

She carried out framework synthesis, bringing together 19 different scalp acupuncture systems.

women’s health. We were honoured also to hear from Hugh’s collaborators Richard Hammerschlag and Rosa Schnyer, who gave moving tributes to Hugh as a prelude to Mike’s lecture.

The research challenges that Mike highlighted were relevant to almost all complementary medicine disciplines.

Amongst other absorbing topics, he discussed issues of acupuncture’s complexity as a treatment; differences in diagnosis and the individualisation of treatments; dosage levels; and the question of why most acupuncturists find clinical trials irrelevant to their day-to-day practice.

The NCA’s professional development lead Hannah Swift afterwards gave her thanks ‘to all who brought their brilliant questions and reflections to the Q&A session. Hugh would have been chuffed to hear the depth of research knowledge in our audience – people deeply engaged with the legacy of his work.’

You can watch the inaugural Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture free via the NCA’s CPD hub 〉 thepractitionerhub.co.uk/

The very first Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture was held online in November 2021 – and in the true spirit of Hugh it was made accessible and free of charge in order to engage as many researchers as possible. The aim of the annual lecture series is to celebrate the legacy of our dear friend and colleague by inviting a leading acupuncture researcher to speak about their current work. We were delighted to be joined by over 170 acupuncturists and researchers from all over the world to hear our inaugural lecturer – Dr Mike Armour of Western Sydney University – discuss some of the challenges and questions in his work into acupuncture for

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

2022 NCA Research Conference: Building the Evidence

From 2022 onwards, the NCA’s annual research conference will be held online – not just to avoid Covid transmission risks, but also to make the conference available to a global audience. The upcoming conference on 8 April 2022 will open with a keynote by NCA’s research supervisor and co-editor of the European Journal of Integrative Medicine Ava Lorenc, looking at the issues of conducting complementary medicine research, and including a 30-minute panel discussion chaired

by NCA alumnus and influencer Sandro Graca.

Presentations also include the work of Nicola Wardhaugh, Laurie Heaps and

Once again, more information can be found via the NCA’s CPD hub 〉 thepractitionerhub.co.uk/

Support for Santé-AF

As part of its support for staff research, NCA is supporting my own doctoral project, Santé-AF (Sessions of Acupuncture and Nutritional Therapy Evaluation for Atrial Fibrillation) – a feasibility study to support a future large-scale pragmatic randomised controlled trial of acupuncture and nutritional therapy for the most common heart arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation. The project is supervised by the University of York’s clinical trials unit and is currently at recruitment stage, having been inevitably delayed by Covid and successive lockdowns.

Left: NCA’s 2019 research conference Right: NCA MSc alumnae Inbal Sivan and Sandro Graca Below: NCA-hosted discussion on research into lifestyle medicine with local GPs Dr Angela Goyal and Dr Helen Lawal with Professor Hugh MacPherson

Practice

right across the world to find other treatments for the condition.

And that’s where acupuncture comes in! I got interested in the first place because I’d seen the good effects of acupuncture on my own patients with AF – and then I met Dr Sanjay Gupta, a consultant cardiologist at the York Teaching Hospital, who was very interested in acupuncture as a potential treatment option for AF. There is some intriguing research already but it focuses on low numbers of patients or single case studies, so it’s not a strong evidence base – but still, it shows promise enough to build on with a trial.

I was lucky enough to be given some BAcC research grant funding, and that seed money attracted more funding and support from the National Institute for Health Research’s Clinical Research Network (CRN). So I’ve been able to work with NHS GPs to recruit patients to the study, and also to pay three acupuncturists and three nutritional therapists to provide the study treatments. The exciting thing for us as acupuncturists is that AF is a ‘lifestyle’ condition – basically, it very often results from suboptimal habits of yang sheng, or self-care – and the holistic approach of acupuncture might be very useful indeed.

My plans for Santé-AF aren’t limited to the trial itself. I was very interested by Mike Armour’s assertion in our Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture this year, that the majority of practitioners don’t see how clinical trials of acupuncture are relevant to them. I’ve already planned some analysis of the three Santé-AF acupuncturists’ treatment plans, to see if we can find commonalities that could be pulled together into a series of recommendations for working with AF. We also plan to hold an online ‘masterclass’ workshop in late spring next year, free of charge for BAcC members, to share our insights into treating this condition.

I’ve set up a website to document the project’s progress – sante-af.org/ – including a blog written in non-technical language for anyone who’s interested in how to run a clinical trial. I’d be delighted to hear from BAcC members with any questions or comments.

We are keen to hear from BAcC members with ideas for research projects

Nora Giese (above), alongside nutritionfocused research into weight loss from NCA student Kirsty Baxter and a look at the common features in patients with premenstrual syndrome from NCA nutrition student Beth Hughes. Chinese herbal medicine lecturer Phil Trubshaw will present findings from his research into the actions of herbs that calm the shen, and advanced complementary medicine student Sophia Kupse will give a presentation on her research into self-care practice in complementary medicine therapists. The keynote will be given, and the conference will close with a practically focused session on using and doing research in practice, led by research supervisor Jane Nodder and myself. There will also be a networking opportunity for attendees to chat with other researchers and talk with the presenters.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common condition.

It comes with some debilitating symptoms, like breathlessness, fatigue, light-headedness and of course the racing or irregular heartbeat. But arguably the biggest problem is that it causes turbulence in the circulatory system that massively increases the risk of stroke.

AF is one of those conditions for which western medicine has no reliably good answers – medications can help, but quite often have no effect or even make things worse. There are two procedures: electrical cardioversion, which involves stopping the heart and restarting it again; or there’s ablation, carried out under local anaesthetic, where the areas of heart tissue are literally scraped away.

They aren’t risk-free, and many patients aren’t keen on them; also, recurrence of AF is common even after repeated procedures, and if that happens there’s nothing to do except repeat the procedures – with all the extra risk involved. Given this, and of course the personal devastation and cost to the world’s healthcare services of stroke, there’s an active programme of research

9

Karen Charlesworth 〉 karencharlesworth@nca.ac.uk

10

Practice

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

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

Electroacupuncture as good as drugs for chronic constipation

Electroacupuncture (EA) can be as effective as the prokinetic drug prucalopride for treating severe chronic constipation. Chinese researchers randomised 560 participants experiencing fewer than two complete spontaneous bowel movements (CBSMs) per week to either EA or prucalopride, over a 32-week period. Twenty-eight sessions of electroacupuncture were administered over the first eight weeks, followed by no-treatment over the subsequent 24 weeks. EA was found to be noninferior to prucalopride for the primary outcome measure. The proportion of participants with more than three mean weekly CSBMs was 36.2 per cent with EA versus 37.8 per cent with prucalopride. The proportion of treatment responders in weeks one to eight was also similar in the EA and prucalopride groups (24.91 per cent versus 25.54 per cent). Except during the first two weeks of treatment, no between-group differences were found in outcomes of excessive straining, stool consistency, or quality of life.

Adverse events occurred in 17.69 per cent of participants in the EA group compared with 44.24 per cent in the prucalopride group.

Electroacupuncture vs Prucalopride for Severe Chronic Constipation: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled, Noninferiority Trial. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021 May 1;116(5):1024-35 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33273258/

Electroacupuncture speeds recovery after knee replacement by improving circulation

Adding electroacupuncture (EA) treatment to conventional anaesthesia can support functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty by reducing pain and oedema and improving blood circulation. In a Chinese trial 200 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomly divided into four groups: intravenous analgesia (PCIA group), femoral nerve block

analgesia (PCNA group), intravenous analgesia combined with EA treatment (PCIA + EA group) and femoral nerve block combined with EA (PCNA + EA group). Compared with the PCIA group, PCNA group, and PCIA + EA group, the PCNA + EA group showed a significantly reduced incidence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis (28 per cent, 14 per cent, 12 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively).

Objective measures of blood flow were observed to be significantly better in both EA groups compared with the anaesthetic only groups on the seventh day after the operation. Both EA groups showed significantly lower coagulation markers (D-dimer index, whole blood viscosity and red blood cell aggregation) on day seven, with the PCNA + EA group additionally showing a significant reduction in platelet counts. By relieving postoperative pain and reducing the incidence of deep vein thrombosis, EA combined with femoral nerve block enabled patients to participate in joint movement and lower limb muscle strength training sooner.

The Preventive Effect of Computed Tomography Image-Guided Electroacupuncture Combined with Continuous Femoral Nerve Block on Deep Vein Thrombosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty Based on an Adaptive Algorithm. World Neurosurg. 2021 May;149:362-71 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33248303/

Electrical acupoint stimulation improves cognitive state in elderly undergoing colon cancer surgery

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is associated with a lower duration of postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing colon cancer surgery. A Chinese research team randomised 100 patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of colon cancer into TEAS and control groups.

Patients in the TEAS group received percutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation at bilateral LI 4 he gu, P 6 nei guan and ST 36 zu san li points from 30 minutes before anaesthesia

induction to the end of surgery.

Serum inflammatory markers (IL6 and hs-CRP) were observed to be significantly lower in the TEAS group compared with controls at one hour after beginning surgery and at the end of surgery. POCD was also observed to be significantly decreased on postoperative days two and three in the TEAS group compared with the control group. The authors conclude that TEAS may reduce neuroinflammation by influencing levels of inflammatory mediators and neuropeptides involved in communication along the gut– brain axis.

Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Postoperative Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients: A Pilot Study.

Clin Interv Aging. 2021 May 3;16:757-65 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33976542/

Electroacupuncture changes brain connectivity to reduce fibromyalgia pain

Electroacupuncture (EA) can reduce pain severity in fibromyalgia (FM) by changing the way the brain’s amygdala connects with its representation of the body, report American scientists.

Seventy-six patients with FM were randomised to receive either electroacupuncture (EA) or mock laser acupuncture (ML), twice a week for a total of eight treatments. The EA group received low-frequency (2 Hz) EA at three pairs of acupoints: right LI 11 qu chi to LI 4 he gu, left GB 34 yang ling quan to SP 6 san yin jiao, and bilateral ST 36 zu san li. Needles were also inserted at DU 20 bai hui, right ear shen men, and left LIV 3 tai chong, but no electrical current was delivered to these sites. EA treatment was designed to generate sustained somatosensory afferent activity, while ML was designed to generate no somatosensory afference. Fibromyalgia patients who received EA experienced a greater reduction in pain severity, compared to patients who received ML (mean difference in pain index from pre- to post-treatment was -1.14 in the

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 EA group versus -0.46 in the ML group).

Participants receiving EA treatment also exhibited resting functional connectivity between the primary somatosensory cortical representation of the leg (S1leg) and the anterior insula. Increased S1leg-anterior insula connectivity was associated with both reduced levels of pain severity and increased levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the anterior insula following EA therapy. The authors conclude that the somatosensory component of acupuncture modulates functional connectivity and inhibitory neurochemistry in the somatosensoryinsular circuit resulting in reduced clinical pain severity in FM patients.

Greater Somatosensory Afference With Acupuncture Increases Primary Somatosensory Connectivity and Alleviates Fibromyalgia Pain via Insular -Aminobutyric Acid: A Randomized Neuroimaging Trial. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Jul;73(7):1318-28 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33314799/

Group acupuncture better than individual acupuncture for cancer pain

Group acupuncture is superior to individual acupuncture for relieving pain in cancer patients, and costs half as much to deliver, according to a trial carried out in Canada. Effectiveness and cost data from a noninferiority trial of group versus individual acupuncture for cancer-related pain were analysed. In the trial, 74 patients were randomly assigned to individual or group acupuncture treatments twice per week for six weeks.

Individual acupuncture treatments were individualised and open to modification over the course of the study to accommodate the individual’s changing symptomatology, but all prescriptions included LI 4 he gu and LIV 3 tai chong. Group acupuncture was performed in a room containing up to six people per session, and needle placement and manipulation procedures identical to the individual treatments were followed. Group acupuncture participants experienced more significant reduction in paindiscomfort scores compared with individual acupuncture participants.

The effect size on pain-discomfort for group acupuncture (d = 0.80) was significantly higher than that of individual acupuncture (d = 0.34).

The cost of delivering acupuncture treatment for the group arm over six weeks ($201.25) was nearly half of the individual arm ($400). The authors point out that their findings have implications for the use of group acupuncture in low-resource settings and in healthcare systems where acupuncture for cancer patients is not covered by public health insurance.

Cost-Utility of Group Versus Individual Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Pain Using Quality-Adjusted Life Years in a Noninferiority Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 May;27(5):390-97 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33904784/

Acupressure reduces pain and speeds recovery after gallbladder removal

Acupressure can reduce pain and speed up recovery of gut motility following gall bladder removal, according to research from Turkey. Sixty-five patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to intervention and light touch placebo groups. In the intervention group, acupressure was applied for a total of twelve minutes, spending three minutes at each of: ST 25 tian shu, REN 12 zhong wan, SJ 6 zhi gou and HT 7 shen men, at zero, four and eight hours after the operation. The results showed that acupressure significantly reduced postoperative pain, increased intestinal sounds and shortened the time to defecation, compared with the placebo intervention.

The effect on gastrointestinal system functions, pain and anxiety of acupressure applied following laparoscopic cholecystectomy operation: A randomised, placebo-controlled study. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021 May;43:101304 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33540298/

Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments

Acupuncture can be considered to be one of the safer treatments in medicine, conclude a team of authors from China and Germany. Their systematic review included data from 21 studies covering 12.9 million acupuncture treatments.

Meta-analyses suggested that at least one adverse effect (AE) occurs in 9.31 per cent of patients undergoing a series of acupuncture treatments, and in 7.57 per cent of treatments.

Serious adverse effects (SAEs) were judged to be rare, with estimates of 1.01 per 10,000 patients and 7.98 per million treatments. AEs requiring medical treatment were uncommon, occurring in 1.14 per 1,000 patients.

On average, 9.4 AEs occurred per 100 treatments. The most commonly reported minor AEs were very mild.

Half of the AEs reported were bleeding, pain or flare at the needle site that could be argued to represent intended acupuncture reaction. AE definitions and assessments varied largely.

Acupuncture-related adverse events: systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 6;11(9):e045961 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34489268/

Acupuncture is one of the top treatments for dental anxiety

Acupuncture is amongst the most successful interventions for reducing anxiety in dental patients, according to American authors. Their systematic review covered 408 articles, with a total of 50,343 patients undergoing 14 different types of non-pharmaceutical intervention to alleviate dental anxiety.

Music, cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation, massage, acupuncture/ acupressure, hypnosis, and natural sounds were the most successful

Practice

11

interventions, reducing anxiety in over 70 per cent of experiments.

Dealing with Anxious Patients: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Nonpharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Medical or Dental Procedures. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 Sep;27(9):717-26 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34076531/

Acupuncture for stroke – the sooner the better

Acupuncture is safe and beneficial for stroke survivors, and the sooner it is deployed, the better, according to a network meta-analysis by Chinese authors. Thirty-eight trials involving 3,836 participants were included.

The results showed that acupuncture treatment (Acu) was significantly more effective than non-acupuncture treatment (Non-Acu) with good safety.

Acu within 48 hours post-stroke (Acu I) was shown to be superior to acupuncture within 2-15 days post-stroke (Acu II) (standard mean difference [SMD]: 7.17, acupuncture within 16-30 days post-stroke (Acu III) (SMD: 20.73), acupuncture within 1 month to half a year post-stroke (Acu IV) (SMD: 26.95). The optimal acupuncture intervention time-point for stroke was judged to be within 48 hours post-stroke, with the significant effect period lasting until 15 days after onset.

Efficacy and safety of dissimilar acupuncture intervention time-points in treating stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Ann Palliat Med. 2021 Sep 6;apm-21-1127 〉 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34498479/ With thanks to the Journal of Chinese Medicine

12

Practice

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Best buy air purifier Another plunge into Parker’s pandemic tech tips

Sarah Parker Member: Gloucestershire It is rare in my life that a purchase that makes my eyes slightly water turns out to be better than I thought.

As part of my prep for the day when we emerge maskless – looking less likely – and as a buffer from the current flock of germs my thoughts turned to air filtration for the clinic.

I had already been looking into ultraviolet light (UV-C) for a clinic steriliser and was intrigued by an article about installing UV-C light filters to sterilise the moving hand rails on parts of London’s underground escalators. I decided that definitely had to be part of any air filter I bought.

My hit list was a UV-C lamp, quiet enough to run during a treatment, powerful enough to clear moxa smoke or accidental car fumes through the window or smoke from the wood burner and clean the air in between patients. I live in hope this might reduce the 15-minute air clearing time (no guidance on this as yet).

I briefly got sidetracked by a very stylish Scandinavian hospital grade machine running at £2,000 〉 rensair.com A bit too noisy on its lowest setting and too much money, but interesting info on their website about HSE recommendations re air filtration and Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) recommendations.

The gist was to choose something that could filtrate at ten litres per second per minute per person and Sage specified fibrous filtration (HEPA – high efficiency particulate air – etc). UV-C was seen as beneficial if deployed correctly, but electrostatic or ionising devices were not proven to help with Covid-19.

I then found a French firm AIRVIA medical selling direct 〉 airpurifier.co.uk ✔ It comes with a free room sensor so you can track how clean the air is. ✔ At 30 db on its lowest setting I can’t hear it running so great during a treatment. ✔ It has a five-year warranty, eight stages of filtration and deals with bacteria and viruses, allergens, pet dander, pollen, dust, chemical pollution, up to 99.97 per cent of fine particulates, smoke, toxic fumes and nano particles… so, even formaldehyde. ✔ And the UV-C lamp.

Cost: £889 On speed setting 5 it’s a bit of a tornado, but clears moxa smoke very quickly.

The sensor usually sits at 0. With two choseikyu moxa cones it shoots to 120. Five minutes of a moxa stick the other day made it go up to 500, but down to 0 before the next patient.

What's also interesting is I feel less tired at the end of a clinic day and the clinic feels different – fresher somehow.

All the info re the different filters is available at the website.

They recommend replacing the whole filter once a year.

Just got to not get too carried away with checking the monitor too often. Best air in Gloucestershire.

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Practice

13

Websites

Small changes, big impact Joe Jennings is on a mission to become a carbon positive acupuncturist. He's developed this list of tips for building a sustainable practice along with an online greenhouse gas calculator for all to use. Now he’s looking for feedback and to pool ideas, so please read on and get in touch 〉 joe@holistic-health.org.uk

Joe Jennings Member: Oxfordshire

From my two years of carbon research, I have found that the biggest and quickest gains are changing to a renewable energy provider and reducing heating as much as possible.

Once that is done, as a service sector profession, most of our emissions come from the products that we use on a dayto-day basis.

Every little counts!

Creating a more sustainable practice doesn't have to be a huge feat, even one small change can help. Here are some environmentally friendly plastic alternatives and ideas that can reduce the pollution we produce as acupuncturists.

Transport

Swap the car for a bicycle: Cycling or walking more will reduce the amount of carbon we produce. We can also encourage our clients to do the same if they can.

Energy consumption

Swap fossil fuels for renewables: Switch to green energy suppliers or switch tariffs to renewable energy sources.

Carbon offsetting

Plant trees to offset your carbon emissions: Ecologi is one of several companies that plant trees and fund

community projects around the world. Signing up is an easy and affordable way to offset your carbon starting at £4.70/ month 〉 ecologi.com

Needles

Swap copper needles for stainless steel: Using stainless steel needles is less polluting to the environment than copper. Highly toxic chemicals are used in the manufacturing of copper needles.

Consumables & PPE

Swap plastic for corn starch: Using corn starch bin bags for your general waste reduces plastic usage. Total PPE also manufacture 100 per cent corn starch PPE aprons 〉 tinyurl.com/yh293jk2

Guide tubes

Swap plastic for bamboo: Acurea now produce bamboo guide tubes, which is far more sustainable than plastic guide tubes. They also have 100 per cent recyclable packaging option 〉 tinyurl.com/mryh8v9d

Reusable bottles

Swap plastic bottles for refillable glass: Buy consumables in bulk where possible, and use refillable bottles for liquids such as sterilisation sprays and hand soaps.

Eco hosting: Another important and often overlooked area is our websites. Most hosting companies are not renewably powered and take a surprising amount of energy. To paraphrase OVO energy, if everyone in the UK sent one less email a day we would save over 16,000 tonnes of CO2e a year – the same as 8,1152 flights to Madrid. Data hosting uses a lot of carbon. Switch to a carbon zero hosting service like Eco Web Hosting 〉 ecowebhosting.co.uk Even adopting just one of these ideas will help reduce the waste and carbon we produce as acupuncturists. Take a look at your own practice and reflect on ways you might be able to reduce your plastic usage.

Collective action

Although there are many ways to reduce our impact as individuals, there is only so far we can go with the products available to us. To really progress on that level, we'd need to come together and lobby our suppliers to reduce their carbon intensity towards carbon zero. We hope that this could be coordinated by our regulatory bodies.

There are three clear asks we could come together to support right now which would have a big impact: 1 No plastic wrapping on any of our products: for the vast majority it is completely unnecessary, for others a corn starch wrap could be used.

2 All suppliers to exclusively use carbon neutral delivery companies, DPD are a notable example.

3 All suppliers to start measuring their greenhouse gas emissions and make a plan to get to zero carbon.

Sadly, even after all of these changes, we will still have to offset a certain amount of our emissions. We will always have to use single use surgical grade steel that is incinerated after being used. These emissions will have to be offset. The tree planting scheme mentioned above or Gold Standard are great options 〉 goldstandard.org

Greenhouse gas calculator

As well as considering all of the above, I’d recommend measuring your greenhouse gas emissions to see where the biggest leaks are and figure out how to mitigate them.

Feel free to use the greenhouse gas calculator I developed specifically for acupuncturists. You can find it on my Holistic Health Oxford website – and if you have any issues or questions on how to use it, please just get in touch.

Joe Jennings 〉 joe@holistic-health.org.uk

14

Practice

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Working with jing in the bones Jasmin Reif Student Member: London

Bones are the scaffolding of the human body, providing the structure which stabilises the body as well as storing and releasing nutrients to maintain metabolic balance. From a western medical perspective, the kidneys release the hormone erythropoietin which initiates blood production in the bone marrow. In our medicine, bones, relating to the kidney organ system, encompass marrow and its involvement with blood building. It is this same network which stores jing in its three parts, pre-heavenly essence, postheavenly essence and kidney essence.

All hereditary diseases refer to kidney jing deficiency. Post-natal jing however can be influenced, and we do this all the time, affecting our lives positively or ne gatively through lifestyle, diet, work and emotional balance. We constantly nurture or weaken our jing and its

efficiency. As we age, jing naturally declines and the body decreases its pace and ability to recover.

The volunteer work I do at a local dementia hospice, which encompasses keeping people company and offering hand massages, has made me reflect more on the nature and decline of jing.

Chronic diseases present us with visible aspects of kidney deficiency: they will eventually damage the body on a constitutional level, leading the kidneys to degrade further.

In assessing jing during my volunteer work I have been considering people’s thinning hair, broken or missing teeth, wrinkled skin, fragile bones and loss of hearing. I have met patients with incontinence, reminding me that frequent urination and nocturnal enuresis are signs of weakness in the kidney yang aspect. Here again, I’ve

noticed accompanying symptoms such as white complexion, weak knees, lower back pain, tiredness, feeling of coldness, decreased libido or impotence.

I’ve also come across neurodegenerative diseases and cerebral atrophy like Alzheimer’s or Pick’s disease. They present with a substantial reduction of brain matter – the sea of marrow which is filled by jing – reflecting a weakening of the shao yin aspect. Where the foundations of the physical are weak, the mind struggles to be anchored. Memory problems, difficulties with concentration and disorientation – all guiding symptoms in dementia – indicate weakening kidney qi in all its aspects.

On an emotional level, many of the patients I meet are fearful regarding walking, swallowing, washing and standing up. Some might cry and return

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Practice

15

WebWatch Our special seasonal festive bumper treat edition of WebWatch has something for everyone, we hope…

The Mushroom Hour Podcast: episode 98 〉 tinyurl.com/2p8f7rhh

Working with the kidneys is to work with the fundamental structures of the body

Rekindle your connection to the wild as Mushroom Hour talks to forager Courtney Tyler, founder of Hips and Haws Wildcrafts, about wild food, fermentation, folk herbalism, fungi, foraging and wildcrafting.

The True Meaning of Christ-Mas 〉 tinyurl.com/3a82etwx

More on mushrooms here as Adam Lewington pulls together joins the dots between the distinctive fly agaric mushroom and the familiar stories and myths of Christmas.

Santaland Diaries 〉 tinyurl.com/ymrrrbfp

to a childlike state, the more fragile they become. Strong kidney qi can let us calculate risk appropriately and acknowledge our inherent instincts; kidney yin deficiency can manifest as anxiety and panic disorder.

Even though the hospice environment is warm and caring, its residents demonstrate other aspects of kidney deficiency. The decline in jing also impacts negatively on its role of housing the willpower. Some people have lost their will to live, whether it is due to their situation or environment. They tell me openly that life has become tiring and that they have had enough of it. I observe that some people refuse to eat, even if they are physically able to take food in.

So is there an ‘anti-constitutionallyageing’ formula? In her book Psycho-

emotional Pain and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, Yvonne Farrell refers to how the eight extraordinary vessels can be used to treat problems related to growth, development or constitutional issues. According to her, the ren and du mai channels can even influence our DNA. In addition, Maciocia suggests a point combination to treat kidney jing deficiency which also includes the extraordinary vessels. For the patients at the hospice, this may offer a chance to slow down the process of physical decline via strengthening the jing.

Ultimately, working with the kidneys is to work with the fundamental structures of the body and it will take time and persistence for treatment to be effective. These patterns have to be taken seriously and approached from every possible angle. Diet and lifestyle are also invaluable tools to make use of. We can support our kidneys by eating oily fish, bone broth, green leafy vegetables and last but not least, kidney beans!

Surely, nobody can stop the process of ageing – but maybe we can work on letting the body age in a healthy way.

Weekly public radio programme and podcast This American Life offers an archive full of audio treats including these Santaland Diaries from writer David Sedaris. Anyone who knows his work already won’t be disappointed by this account of two Christmas seasons spent working as an elf in a department store – and for those who don’t, a mild profanity warning might just be in order.

A Show For Christmas 〉 tinyurl.com/4j72tsed

A ‘relatively ramshackle audio recording’ of approximately 90 minutes which has nothing much to do with Christmas, from Perrier award winning comedian Daniel Kitson. Perhaps another minor profanity warning called for here, just in case.

Daoist Foundation 〉 daoistfoundation.org A dash of Daoism to finish. The Daoist Foundation promotes a learning environment, offering classes, workshops, retreats and textual studies to preserve authentic Daoist practices, source texts and cultural materials. As their mission states: ‘as Daoism shifts its borders from a regional indigenous Chinese religion to a world-wide contemplative practice and religious path, the importance of providing authentic resources and lineage-based practices grows increasingly significant.’

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

16

Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Just my point REN 5 Peter Firebrace BAcC Fellow: Denmark ‘There was a rock that since the creation of the world had been worked upon by the pure essences of Heaven and the fine savours of Earth, the vigour of sunshine and the grace of moonlight, till at last it became magically pregnant and one day split open, giving birth to a stone egg, about as big as a playing ball. Fructified by the wind, it developed into a stone monkey, complete with every organ and limb. At once this monkey learned to climb and run…’ So begins the life of China’s exuberant and irreverent Monkey King in the famous 16th century novel Journey to the West (Arthur Waley translation). It is hard to imagine a more vital and irrepressible character than Monkey and yet he is born from a still stone egg.

Here we see the concept of stone as a rich accumulation of essences, just as we do in the point REN 5 shi men 石 門 Stone Gate, where the concentrating power of yin gathers the rich, fertile juices of life in the lower abdomen in preparation for the possibility of a child.

In contrast, and somewhat cruelly, the term shi nü 石 奴, ‘stone woman’, was used for those unable to have children, stone in this case indicating the infertility of the soil. Stone then is a term used for both extremes, inert and lifeless on the one hand and filled with essential power on the other. In the other stone point, KID 18 shi guan 石 關, Stone Pass, where we see the relation between the kidneys and the stomach,

stone shi 石 represents the richness of food, the concentrated substance of earth. The pathology of both points is of blockage, where an area that should be for the distribution of richness turns to stagnation and obstruction. In many ways this is the dilemma of REN 5 Stone Gate. Can the blockage be removed and the gate opened?

Overshadowed by its winning celebrity sisters, REN 4 guan yuan 關 元 Gateway to the Origin and REN 6 qi hai 氣 海 Sea of Qi, the former reconnecting to the source of life itself, the latter expanding to distribute qi around the body, REN 5 Stone Gate tends to be the acupuncturist’s also ran. Yet, like REN 4, it is also called dan tian 丹 田 Cinnabar Field and ming men 命 門 Gate of Destiny, powerful names that are not lightly given. We are clearly here in the region of the lower cinnabar field, so important for the nourishment of the embryo, tai 胎, whether actual or the sheng tai 聖 胎 immortal embryo of internal alchemists.

That REN 5 is also known as jing lü 精 露Essential Dew, the sustenance of divine immortals, may allude to this potential for nourishing the embryo. I have certainly used it with success to help women unable to conceive, where the cause is stagnation, rather than depletion. In amenorrhoea for example, REN 5 is perfectly complemented by such points as REN 4 guan yuan, SP 6 san yin jiao, LI 4 he gu and ST 29

gui lai. Perhaps the warnings against its use in many classical books for fear of injuring the essences, thereby causing infertility, stem from too frequent use and/or heavy needling. Other sources indicate that it can be used for women, but lightly, without deep or strong needling, with which I would agree. Like fine wine, this is a point for special occasions, not every day and its appropriate use can give extraordinary results, particularly in the treatment of infertility. It is interesting to note that at the same level as REN 5 we have KID 14 si man 四 滿 Fourfold Fullness with the same indication of fertility or infertility, rich essences or blockage. Again, using the point to unblock stagnation can allow the deep and delicate process of fertilisation to occur.

As mu 募 collecting point of the triple heater, that controls the water passages, REN 5 is intimately connected to the movement of fluids, and therefore, in pathology, the lack of it. Hence this point treats shi shui 石 水 ‘stone water’, various concretions, condensations and blockages, especially in the abdomen, causing painful and hard swellings. It is for dysuria as well as enuresis and an important point for regulating the uterus and menstruation, from amenorrhoea, as mentioned above, to uterine haemorrhage, post-partum haemorrhage and vaginal discharges.

Interestingly, with its links to jing 精 essences, it is also an important point for treating men in impotence and premature ejaculation.

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Inspiration

17

Kong Reinforcing the yang, regulating the qi, clearing heat and eliminating dampness, REN 5 is a good point to re-establish normal liquid circulation and to stop pain. A powerful and under-used point, perhaps for many even an unused point, it is a point for both deep stagnation and uncontrolled loss of essences, blood and fluids.

The normal pulse in winter is described as being like a stone shi 石. Winter locks life away deep underground, where the darkness and cold are its preservation. It waits only for spring to open the door. REN 5 shi men 石 門 Stone Gate offers us access to these depths where life is waiting.

Sometimes we can open the gate and a new life begins.

Monkey rests in a tree in the Queen Mother of the West’s garden, about to feast on the giant, juicy peaches that confer immortality: from a papercut in the author’s collection

CHINESE LESSON

Sandra Hill Acupuncturist & Author: London Fear (kong 恐) is the emotion – or as we see in Suwen chapter 5, the expression of will (zhi 志) – related to the water element, the winter, and the kidneys.

Its effect, described in Suwen 39, is to descend the qi. The text suggests that prolonged fear causes impotence and a general leaking away of the essences – a loosening and slackening, or wei syndrome. The discussion of the seasons in Suwen chapter 2 tells us that a failure to act according to the qi of winter prevents the shao yin from storing: ‘The kidney qi is powerless in the depths of the body, causing impotence (wei 痿) and deficiency in the spring’.

The character for fear represents a kind of restriction (功) in the heart (心) and Lingshu 8 describes a situation where the qi descends, leaving the upper jiao stranded, the heart beating fast, the lungs constricted. This is a description of a severe acute state, but in prolonged fear and anxiety this may become a pattern – not so extreme but more gradually debilitating.

The classical texts often refer to the double expression kong ju (恐 懼), which is usually translated as fear and fright, a state in which the spirits are scattered and cannot rest in the heart. Both aspects of the shao yin are affected – the kidneys cannot store the essences, the heart cannot store the spirits.

The final paragraph of this section of Suwen chapter 5 tells us that reflective thought (si 思) prevails over fear. Reflective thought is the emotion or will of the earth element and the centre. Its action is to turn things around, to rotate – and it is the earth element that is able to re-establish the broken connections between fire and water, heart and kidneys.

Fear may also be a natural and healthy function of our survival mechanism; this is the will (zhi 志) associated with the kidneys in the group of five often referred to as the ‘five aspects of spirit’ (shen, hun, po, yi and zhi). The water element may dampen the excesses of the fire of the heart. But as always with fire and water this is a delicate and dynamic balance. Too much water and the fire will go out; too much fear or timidity and there will be no space for the joy of the heart.

The other positive aspect of the fear mechanism is that facing certain fears, working with them and transforming them can lead to the ‘virtue’ associated with the water element – wisdom. And in the Chinese mind this wisdom is a practical kind of life skill. Lingshu chapter 8, which is the seminal chapter on the effects of the emotions and what might be called the unfolding of the spiritual and emotional aspects of life, culminates in the production of wisdom (zhi 知) ‘which is nothing other than the ability to nourish life (yang sheng 養 生)’.

18

Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

My treatment room Maureen Froud Member: East Sussex

Recipe for a simple breakfast Daniel Scott Member: East Sussex This is a family secret I thought I would share as it represents the essence to me. A simple and sustaining dish. Most used for breakfast, brunch, and at a pinch, lunch. It is a Gem. Ingredients One egg (organic, for the chickens please) One banana (ripe, not over or under) Method Mash them up together well.

Get a nice pan with a non-stick surface.

Add a little oil – we use coconut – and fry on a low to medium heat.

Give it just a little longer than you would think – then flip!

That is it. You just made your first Banana Pancake.

Add your choice of topping, the kitchen is your oyster.

Lately we use blueberries and some whipped cream.

Daniel’s essential pancakes sparked a minor nutritional debate amongst the editorial team.

But where do you stand on bananas? In or out?

Good or bad? Cool or damp? Send your dietary deliberations to editor@acupuncture.org.uk

I found my beautiful clinic space when I was out walking one day towards the end of the first lockdown. I passed the converted shipping container directly on the beach and it caught my eye straightaway. I love the sea and the idea of working directly on the beach really appealed to me.

I had really wanted to open a clinic in Brighton and here was the perfect opportunity. I moved back here a few years ago and being able to walk down a flight of stairs to my clinic and have direct sea views ticks all the boxes for me.

I was a little apprehensive – my two other clinics in Steyning and Mid Sussex were really busy and I knew if I took this on it would be like starting over. But everything about it felt right, so I opened up Unity Clinic Brighton at the end of the first lockdown in the middle of a pandemic.

Although the space itself is really basic and minimalist the view from the window is just mesmerising.

The sunlight on the sea is different everyday.

I work in this clinic three days a week and I can honestly say I’m so happy when I’m here. This place really allows me to have a work/life balance. The other businesses in the area are all amazing and there is a real sense of camaraderie.

My clinic overlooks a great beach sauna business, I’m above an indoor pool that is used to train triathletes, next door is a brilliant artisan coffee shop, and we have a wonderful outdoor/ indoor yoga studio right on the beach where throughout the summer we did yoga everyday in the sun. I’ve been going to yoga every morning before I start my working day – absolute bliss!

It’s all very Bohemian and pop-up and almost all of it didn’t exist before the pandemic. Being surrounded by such wonderful businesses and joining the yoga studio has provided a steady stream of very interested clients who all seemed really helpful in spreading the word. In a short space of time I have filled the days I’m here and I’m now considering my options moving forward.

I always knew my container clinic was temporary as the whole area is under a huge regeneration plan. But that was also a big part of its appeal – I sensed possibilities and opportunities to come. In January I’ll have to find another arrangement for around six months while they build an Olympic outdoor heated swimming pool and 37 small business hubs.

I’m hoping to be part of that new development and feeling really excited about the prospects for the future.

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Inspiration

19

On the couch

Steve Wheeler

– established their own schools, Sigmund Freud, accompanied by his setting the template for wife Martha and his daughter Anna, acupuncture in the arrived at Victoria Station in London country for the on 6 June 1938, having fled the generations growing Nazi menace in Anschluss that followed Vienna for exile in England. Freud afterwards. himself would survive illness for only Member: West Wales And while another year, but his ideas, which there had preceded his arrival by decades, were many would continue to exert a powerful factors involved in the reception and influence on British life and culture for years to come. As reinterpretation of acupuncture in the WH Auden said in his memorial poem, ‘to us he is no more a west, one aspect that is often overlooked person / now but a whole climate of opinion’. is the relationship between the Initially, Freud’s ideas had not been universally popular newly introduced eastern medical in Britain. Early reviews of his work had turned their nose paradigm and the psychoanalytic up at the ‘impropriety’ of their sexual focus, and one model so dominant in the culture of the time. anonymous article in the Lancet in 1921 suggested that ‘few medical men past middle age can swallow the new psychology whole without some symptoms of indigestion, Psyche and soma culminating in… spiritual, if not physical nausea’. Even Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM)’s role in western when Isaiah Berlin, like so many of London’s intellectual culture was always going to be different than in the east. class, paid the customary honorary visit to Freud in his Whereas, until modern times, TEAM was the primary last year of life, the psychoanalyst’s response to learning medicine for all illnesses – mental or physical – in East Asia, that Berlin taught philosophy – ‘then you must think me in the west it was entering a medical ‘marketplace’ already a great charlatan’ – was not, Berlin would later admit, occupied by western medicine. What was simply practical entirely untrue. healthcare in the east was ‘alternative’ in the west. Perhaps Nevertheless, through the course of the first half of the it was inevitable, then, that in preference to competing 20th century, Freudian ideas percolated their way through directly with the more established modalities of physical the whole of anglophone society, appearing as much in and pharmaceutical medicine, TEAM would come to share popular magazines, bestsellers like Spock’s Baby and Child the kind of quasi-medical space occupied by psychoanalysis; Care and movies like Hitchcock’s Marnie as in the learned matters of the mind and emotions being less easily defined journals of academics and psychiatrists. By the post-war and circumscribed, they can form a kind of refuge for era, references to the ‘ego’, the ‘id’, to ‘complexes’ and alternative practices that might otherwise not survive the ‘neurosis’ were ubiquitous throughout culture. twin blizzards of xenophobic disdain and mechanistic It was into this milieu that acupuncture was first reductionism. introduced in the UK. Just as psychoanalysis was in the Certainly, the acupuncture that came to be practised in the process of developing into the many schools and flavours of west tended to focus more on matters of psycho-emotional psychotherapy, so there was a profoundly eclectic interest wellbeing than was ever the case in East Asia – though this in any and all exotic otherness as part of the search for tendency is perhaps particularly marked in the Worsley‘self-actualisation’. As China began to open up to the world lineage five element traditions, and was stronger before and the west became increasingly enamoured with eastern the establishment of more TCM-aligned courses in the culture, religion, and martial arts, some of the early pioneers 1990s and 2000s. Before considering the way in which the – such as JD van Buren, Jack Worsley, and Sidney Rose-Neil psychoanalytic ‘climate of opinion’ might have had a direct

20

Inspiration

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

influence on western acupuncture, it is worth considering some of the ways in which the differing cultural paradigm as a whole was likely to change the way it was received: The Cartesian split: The western conception of being is structured by a clear schism between mind and body.

Though many trace this all the way back to the JudeoChristian roots of the culture, René Descartes has long served (somewhat unfairly) as a symbol of the pivotal cultural moment when bodily consciousness began to be suppressed in favour of the abstract mind.

While, for many, the attraction of acupuncture and East Asian medicine has been precisely its potential to bridge this divide, the legacy of the Cartesian paradigm is not so easily abandoned and it is possible that some of the early emphasis on psycho-emotional treatment stemmed from a subliminal sense that ‘energetic’ medicine must necessarily have more to do with the ethereal realm of the mind than with the material mechanisms of the physical.

Consider the opening words of Leon Hammer’s Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies, for example: ‘Psychology and Chinese Medicine are congenial therapeutic partners. They are closer in concept and practice to each other than either is to the principles of Western science and medicine’. The sense that there is more ‘headroom’ for TEAM to expand into the realm of psycho-emotional treatment than down into the more physical realm is perhaps a commercial truth in the west, but is also pushing at an open ideological door, where a ‘holistic’ approach is intuitively seen as having more to do with the health of the soul than of the body. So long as the mind is seen as the ‘seat of the self’ in the west, the most humanly meaningful medicine will be seen as that which prioritises the psyche. In other cultures, where the self is seen as centred at a more energetic, feeling or physical plane, this presumption would not hold.

Individualism: As has often been observed, the western concern with the individual consciousness contrasts with the East Asian emphasis on the relational network of society as a whole. It’s tempting to say that western individualism has simply given us an exaggerated sense of the importance of our own internal experience, and that the best thing for us would be to get out of our own heads and do some work (preferably physical and practical) to help other people.

Even today, psychotherapy is looked upon in much of East Asia with the same scepticism that TEAM suffers in the west.

UK-based psychotherapist Yuko Nippoda has suggested that psychotherapy is seen in Japan as being fundamentally based in western cultural values, and the focus on the individual’s inner being is considered almost self-indulgent or narcissistic in a culture rooted in more collective and relational values.

By way of anecdote: on the BAcC cultural

exchange trip to Harbin in 2018, we were shown the ‘psychotherapy’ department in one of the city’s major TCM hospitals – a small cupboard-like room occupied by a single, amusingly acerbic female doctor. On a hunch that pays testament to my immense powers of cultural observation, I asked her what the status of psychotherapy was in the hospital there. Her response was simply an arch look of irony, gesturing to the room around her and asking the question: ‘What do you think?!’

But it may also be the case that, in a kind of selffulfilling prophecy, the western focus on the individual actually led to the development of more complex and problematic internal dynamics. At the same time, and accelerating the trend by doing so, the vocabulary and conceptual architecture to define and discuss that complexity in great detail was developed; in the form of western theology, then philosophy, and finally psychoanalytic theory.

Some practitioners have explicitly identified their modifications of TEAM as being a way of taking account of this complexity – in his 1990 work Pulses and Impulses, for example, Graham Townsend states that the more complex pulse system he is proposing is designed to match the greater psychological complexity of patients in the modern west.

Reductionism: Modern medical technology has produced many undeniable marvels of treatment and repair. As the techno-scientific world has conquered new realms of biological understanding, however, the culture of biomedical research has emphasised ever more stringent standards of experimental design, cohort size and reductionist scepticism, and the space in which alternative medical paradigms can thrive has been steadily eroded. Even psychoanalysis itself has been progressively supplanted since the 1980s by the rise of the neuropharmacological approach to mental health.

Throughout recent decades, of course, noble attempts have been made to establish a convincing evidence base for the more physical benefits of acupuncture, and if they have failed to convert the mainstream scientific institutions this has perhaps more to do with the intransigence of those institutions and their ever-receding goalposts of ‘sufficient evidence’ than with any weakness in the argument. There is much to decry about this trend, but its direction and dominance are undeniable; and it provides one more element of ‘nudge’ for our medicine away from the physical and towards the psycho-emotional.

Tabling the agenda

While this deep cultural background explains much of the parallels between psychoanalysis and acupuncture in the 1960s and ‘70s, I believe that the psychoanalytic tradition had some more specific, and deeply formative impacts on the development of acupuncture in the UK. If, when acupuncture was introduced into the anglophone west, and particularly into the UK, it modelled itself on the dominant quasi-medical modality, psychoanalysis, it did

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

so both as a result of the deep cultural paradigmatic trends we have discussed above, and for reasons of expediency – to present something new and difficult to understand as something more familiar – and status – psychoanalysis being seen as an elevated pursuit whose practitioners were respected professionals more akin to academics than mechanics (thereby invoking a whole nexus of western presumptions around the superiority of the mental over the material, the theoretical over the practical). The results of this decision have been various and far-reaching, and continue to shape and influence our practice and community today.

Some of the pointers in this direction are necessarily speculative, and perhaps better answered by those Elders of our community who were present in the early days: Is the reason ‘standard’ acupuncture sessions are one hour long, and one week apart, simply because that matched the pre-existing model of psychoanalytic therapy?

Certainly, there does not seem to be any precedent for this approach in East Asia, where you might get treated every day, or a few days apart, and would usually be lucky to receive a whole hour of individual treatment – or, where practitioners do practise in that way, treatment might last as long as two or three hours. Indeed, is our very use of the term ‘treatment couch’ in the UK – which so confuses our ‘table’-using American brethren on shared training courses – derived from the psychoanalytic ‘couch’?

If true, what might this imply for how we think of our treatments? Do we think of our treatments as analogous to talking therapy? Do we think of ourselves as primarily ‘therapists’ rather than ‘medical practitioners’? (If you doubt the continued influence of psychotherapy in our culture, consider how, despite the existence of physical, occupational and speech therapists, to name but a few, the abbreviated form ‘therapist’ means ‘psychotherapist’ to most people – just try introducing yourself at your next cocktail party as a ‘therapist’ and see how quickly the misunderstandings occur!)

Is there a tendency in western acupuncture to emphasise the therapeutic relationship?

Inspiration

Many a slip

21

While some of the implications of all this are merely culturally interesting, others are more serious: Is there a tendency in western acupuncture to emphasise the therapeutic relationship – the bedside manner, the opportunity to talk through problems during case history, the feeling of being attended to and ‘held’ for an hour – over the actual practical effects of needling? The world of psychotherapy has been recently rocked by various studies that suggest that it is the relationship itself, rather than any particular theory or method, that produces positive results in psychotherapy – perhaps by providing a space to replicate the broken attachment experiences of early childhood. Do we rely a little on the provision of a warm, caring, receptive space, making use of this same mechanism? Is there a danger that, by failing to focus on the practical functionality of our medicine, we might inadvertently prove our critics right by turning it into a ‘theatrical placebo’?

Similarly, might there be a tendency to allow our patients to pick up an ‘acupuncture habit’, coming back week after week for years as part of ‘self-care’, just as analysands spend years in talking therapy waiting for a breakthrough, rather than holding ourselves to the kind of limited run of treatments we would expect of a more physical medical modality? Are we sometimes insufficiently motivated to ensure universal provision of our medicine because we compare ourselves to psychotherapists rather than physiotherapists – thinking of ourselves more as enabling an optional add-on of ‘self-actualisation’ and ‘optimal wellness’ rather than as physicians equipped to treat serious physical illness, whose medicine should therefore be available to all?

Or again: is it possible that, in seeing TEAM as similar to psychoanalysis, we might be adopting a particularly cerebral version of the medicine, losing ourselves in theoretical cogitations rather than attending to the practical grind of

22

Inspiration

needling practice, as is more common in the East Asian traditions? Is there a possibility that our model of acupuncture education would thereby emphasise abstruse and abstract learning over the practical skills needed in clinic?

And if we feel ourselves lacking in those skills, are we more likely to seek additional training in them, or to ‘addon’ something else to our treatments – NLP, shamanic journeying, mindfulness coaching – that looks a little bit like psychotherapy?

One other anomaly in western acupuncture that might also owe its origin to the psychoanalytic legacy is the current focus on supervision; while informal mentoring has always been an aspect of TEAM, the formal institutionalisation of supervision as an aspect of practice seems directly modelled on the psychotherapeutic standard. In psychotherapy, however, the justification for the practice is that the medicine consists of working directly, personality-to-personality, with someone else’s mind – and so the therapist themself should also be in therapy or analysis to ensure they do not project their own psychological issues onto their patients. The direct analogy with acupuncture would be that every acupuncturist should be receiving acupuncture.

Of course, every profession could benefit – time and money allowing – from a system where practitioners have a space to talk about their concerns, and if the majority of your practice consists of working with psycho-emotional issues, such supervision may well prove psychologically indispensable. But it is just another example of the strange in-between space that acupuncture occupies in the west – part-medicine, part-therapy; part-physical, partpsychological – that ‘supervision’ has become a common element of practice amongst acupuncturists where it is not for any comparable profession.

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Off the bench

The prevalence of all these elements in western acupuncture could be easily exaggerated, of course. Almost all TEAM practitioners in the west are treating at least some physical ailments, are fascinated by the practicality and effectiveness of the medicine, and are continually seeking to heal the body-mind split by grounding their patients’ psyches in their bodies. On the other side, it has always been the case that TEAM has also treated ailments of the shen, even if not with such particular focus as in the west.

If the trends I’ve identified are real, they are subtle and largely born of deep, invisible cultural currents. But such currents are also powerful; they are ever-present, and over long periods of time can shape the geology of our practice. As such, I think they are worth considering and, where we detect their problematic influence, should be compensated for and countered.

We might also look to the relationship between psychoanalysis and acupuncture for positive guidance, though. Like acupuncture, as we have seen, psychoanalysis was the subject of scorn, opposition and innuendo in its early days of adoption in the UK. But, within 50 years, it was the dominant paradigm for understanding the human experience. The tide of its influence has been receding for some time now, of course, and it is possible that the conditions for that kind of widespread, unified influence on the cultural conversation are no longer extant. But it shows how important it is to hold true to your understanding, and to belief in the usefulness of your medical paradigm, in the face of ridicule and obtuseness.

We might also look at the relationship between psychoanalysis and acupuncture in the west as one of positive dialectic. There has never been a single ‘East Asian medicine’, and its

The direct analogy would be that every acupuncturist should be receiving acupuncture

evolution on arrival in the west was both inevitable and necessary. If the medicine has come to address the psyche more in the modern, industrialised, individualist west than it did in classical China, perhaps that is an appropriate adaptation to the conditions it has found here.

So let’s continue to look critically at our own presumptions, and continue to strive to make our medicine as effective and useful to our patients as we can, while working towards its ever-greater acceptance in the west. After all, as Sigmund himself said, ‘One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.’

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Inspiration

23

9000 Needles A story of hope, courage and one family’s unconventional journey towards stroke recovery

REVIEW The TCM Academy of Integrative Medicine has a selection of documentaries on its website to help raise awareness of the benefits of acupuncture. We chose to review 9000 Needles as it aligns well with the theme of this issue – when you are cut back to the bare bones, when everything you know is stripped away to reveal the essence of who you are, what do you find?

This 2009 documentary is an emotional tale that pays testament to the courage of one man and his determination to regain his health after a major stroke leaves him paralysed and confronted with the limits of his own body.

It’s close to 5am on 15 November 2007 when champion bodybuilder, businessman and married father-ofthree, Devin Dearth, keels over while lifting weights at the gym.

Devin is experiencing a major haemorrhagic stroke – a rare bleed on the brainstem so severe it kills 95 per cent of those it strikes. He is airlifted to hospital where wife Stacey must choose between honouring her husband’s living will, which they had discussed just weeks before, or putting him on life support.

The former Mr Kentucky, crowned three years earlier at the age of thirtyseven, survives but his body becomes a prison. He is paralysed down the right side, drooling and unable to talk – all the things he said he didn’t want to be and wouldn’t want to live with if he ever had to face them. He spends three months in intensive care.

Devin has a loving family and is also loved and respected in his community and at his church. As a viewer, you are immersed in the love and devotion this family has for their father, brother and son, and you cannot help but empathise with their plight. This emotive documentary is expertly made, so be prepared to shed a few tears.

Brother Doug Dearth is the filmmaker responsible for 9000 Needles. He

decided to record the plight of his brother after the family were struck another blow when Devin’s insurance company refused to fund treatment beyond the acute phase of Devin’s illness.

Doug, a filmmaker, actor and bodybuilder – a love all three of the brothers share – has several film credits to his name. While searching for ways to help Devin, he came across the story of a lady who had suffered a similar stroke and had gone to China for intensive acupuncture for three months.

As the family makes the decision to send Devin to China they also consent to the journey being recorded as a documentary, to help raise awareness of Devin’s plight and to help raise funds for his care.

What follows is a tale of courage and determination as the viewer charts Devin’s progress at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University in China under the direction of Doctor Shi Xuemin.

Once there, Devin is given a full time orderly who stays with him 24/7 to help feed and bathe him – back in the states it was left to Stacey. When treatment begins – with a gruelling round of many needles inserted with force and manipulated strongly – the results are quickly apparent. On day one Devin can move his right toes and lift his right foot an inch off the bed.

He soon stops drooling and can sit up straight and smile for the first time since the stroke.

Devin handles the needles well but always gives an ‘Owww’ on Bladder 40!

When asked how he feels, he says: ‘like a human pin cushion’.

Doug expresses surprise at the level of

care Devin receives: ‘I’m really surprised how well they integrate eastern and western medicine, they use CAT scans and EKGs, they have all the bells and whistles we have in the States.

‘The approach the doctors took was very deliberate and patient, which is the opposite of Devin, I mean, he just wanted to do more. Today in the gym, Dr Gu kept telling Devin to relax, which drove Devin nuts as it was in the gym he was used to being his most intense.’

Stacey notes how the Chinese way is to treat from the heart: ‘It’s like they all love him and they want him to get well as much as we do.’

The film pays testament to one extraordinarily determined man and the love his family have for him. It shows how much progress can be made with a lot of love, dedication, and Chinese medicine. The viewer watches as Devin is needled and cupped, has blood let under his tongue and undergoes a host of other traditional Chinese medicine treatments. Devin has just one goal, to walk out of the hospital at the end of the three months. I’d highly recommend viewing 9000 Needles to find out if he succeeds.

You can find a link to 9000 Needles on the TCM Academy of Integrative Medicine website 〉 tinyurl.com/tyfm765r

Sally Crowther Overseas Member: Portugal

24

Opinion

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Informed consent & its place within our profession Megan Reynolds Member: Gloucestershire ‘Your role as the helping professional is to create a safe space, empower your client, protect your client’s spirit, and to see a wider perspective.’

Hakomi Institute Code of Ethics preface As acupuncturists, we have all had, on occasion, an experience in clinic that has woken us up to the pure power of acupuncture as a medicine. In practice we can and often do witness impressive reactions. Treatments support our clients going through the many and varying difficulties that might bring them to us and aid their healing.

However, while we can appreciate our medicine as supportive and positive and holistic, as professionals we also have to acknowledge it can equally have an intense and potentially negative effect at times. For me this became particularly apparent following a recent personal experience within my own long-term treatment for PTSD. After five years of supportive regular treatments, one treatment after lockdown resulted in nearly reversing ten years of recovery for me.

On this one occasion, I had a strong and severe immediate reaction after treatment. I was left wondering what happened and why. I came to the realisation that I had no knowledge or memory of being informed of most of the points used or their intended purposes – and if I had no knowledge, then how could I have consented?

For me this raises a question: if I, as a practitioner with a degree-level training in Chinese medicine, couldn’t understand the treatment I received, how can I possibly expect my clients with perhaps less knowledge of acupuncture to understand and give informed consent to the treatment I give them? I began to consider the ethics and topic of informed consent within medical treatment – and what it means to us as acupuncturists in our everyday practice.

The therapeutic relationship is by its nature a power imbalance between practitioner and client. Our power is strong and subtle and based on the

fact that we are deciding the treatment, choosing the points, inserting the needles.

We are also in a position of trust.

I trusted my acupuncturist and our clients place their trust in us, generally without question. How often do we check and clarify their understanding of what acupuncture is and how we intend to treat them?

When you think of consent, what does it mean for you? In my opinion, consent is principally the clearest example of respect for a client’s autonomy.

In your own practice do you accept written or verbal consent? Do you document agreement? Have you ever been asked to consent for the treatment you receive?

In the BAcC FAQ for clients (accessed online: 2021) it is explained to clients that practitioners ‘Will decide what points are right for you after a detailed consultation covering every aspect of your health and lifestyle. The aim is to direct the flow of qi to trigger your body’s healing response…’. The BAcC have provided an Acupuncture Information and Consent Form that does have a declaration of consent which clients can sign.

However, consent is not just a matter of getting a signature on a form at the beginning of treatment. In fact, having a client sign a consent form does not necessarily serve the intended purpose, neither is it proof in law that a valid consent has been obtained. ‘Consent must be treated as a process that continues throughout the duration of care and treatment, recognising that it

Consent is not just a matter of getting a signature on a form at the beginning of treatment

may be withheld and/or withdrawn at any time.’

(Care Quality Commission: 2018 Regulation 11)

Of course, it would be impractical to try and give the history of 2,000 years of Chinese medicine to a client or overly explain elements, syndromes, meridians and points. Every client comes with their own perceptions and understanding and we shouldn’t assume what information they might desire. Likewise, it would not be reasonable to share every possible risk or complication. Instead, we should adapt the discussion to each individual client guided by what matters to them, sharing information in a way they can understand to promote informed consent and empowerment.

If we consider medical ethics, the basics of consent, preferably before starting treatment, are: a explain what you’re going to do and why b make clear the patient can say no, and stop immediately if they do c be alert for any sign that they may be confused or unhappy about what you are doing (Decision making and consent: General Medical Council, 2020) This indicates that for good practice as professionals, we should ensure our client understands before starting the very first treatment what to expect and assess their competence to consent to treatment, irrespective of age or mental capacity.

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Opinion

25

The classic of difficulties Guiltiest pleasure

None of them are guilty!

Favourite song lyric

Life-changing lyrics came from Coldplay’s Clocks: Am I a part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease?

That’s when I knew I needed to switch industries from fashion to health!

Desert island disc

May This Be Love, Jimi Hendrix Reminds me of my time in the late 90s, modelling in Tokyo when magic mushrooms were legal!

There is a basic way to determine competence: a Does the individual understand, and retain, the information given about the treatment, its nature, purposes, and consequences? b Do they believe and trust that information? c Do they have the ability to weigh the pros and cons to the treatment, so as to arrive at a decision, as to whether they wish to proceed?

(Edinburgh Law School, 2020) To achieve genuine consent is not a matter of overwhelming patients with information, arrays of boxes to tick or propositions for signature. ‘The quest for perfect specificity is doomed to fail since descriptions can be expanded endlessly, and there is no limit to a process of seeking more specific consent’. (O'Neill and O'Some, 2003) We can enable our clients and give them control over the amount of information they choose to receive, by offering easy access to more specific information that lies behind our wonderful medicine. We can consider offering sources of information, fact sheets, explanatory leaflets and books. But most importantly we can offer discussion, and the time to absorb further information between the traditional diagnosis and first treatment.

If information is readily available and provided on request, clients will not feel deceived. A client who decides to go ahead on the basis of limited information has chosen to do so, they have judged the information sufficient to reach an informed decision and are therefore not deceived, they have given their informed consent.

If as practitioners we encourage and maintain an open honest dialogue, we can help our clients arrive at a position of giving informed consent prior to beginning treatment and during each subsequent session, encouraging them to ask questions that will help us understand their

wishes. Allowing them time to answer honestly without being asked leading questions helps deepen trust. We can support them to assess the likely impact of any potential outcomes and side effects. We can listen to their concerns and preferences for treatment before proceeding further.

We are health professionals who specialise in holistic medicine with the aim of restoring a healthy flow of qi and the internal balance and wellbeing of our clients. It is important that we acknowledge our treatments can have both a positive, healing affect, but on rare occasions may cause adverse and negative reactions. Obtaining informed written or acknowledged consent should be as much a requirement for ethical practice in eastern medicine as it is within western medicine.

Thanks to Megan for opening up this interesting and fundamental conversation.

So what do you think? Can we ever really know how someone will respond to a particular treatment?

And if not, how do we go about getting informed consent?

Let us know your thoughts to editor@acupuncture.org.uk

Desert island film

Stealing Beauty. A perfect coming of age film forever in my heart

Desert island book

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

Hero/heroine

Michelle De Swarte, my friend, comedian and actor She is gonna set the world on fire!

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

Wondering what I’m supposed to be doing with my life?!

Superpower of choice To fly

A one-way ticket to…

Bali

Which word/phrase do you overuse?

Let it go!

What do you see when you turn out the light?

A kaleidoscope of colours

Fantasy dinner party guests

Taika Waititi, Freddie Mercury, Virgil Abloh, Jill Purce, Sandi Toksvig, Beyoncé, Bono, my husband Pete

What is your diagnosis?

Damp, heat, toxins

Worst nightmare

Living in a dystopia, with no freedom of speech and where the people police themselves

Favourite proverb

A cup is only useful because it is empty

One bed or multibed?

One bed

What’s your animal?

Horse. Lion. Dog. Baby goat/kid

What has life taught you?

Live your life in the slow lane! Much like cooking, food is always better when you take your time over it. Let it unfurl at its own speed, and while you are waiting, put on some good music, hang with good company and cherish each sunset (even if they all look the same!). And don’t be a d*#k

Liv Inge Member: London

26

Opinion

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

How do we understand spirit?

Felicity Moir BAcC Fellow: London

As you may read in my brief review on page 31 of this issue, this year's BAcC conference rekindled my interest in two areas: spirit and intuition.

When teaching Chinese medicine, students would always grapple with these ideas. Medicine changes as it moves across histories and cultures so how do we understand let alone teach about ‘spirit’ in the light of our western location and marry it to a Chinese concept developed in a culture and context of 2,000 years ago. Is intuition a direct perception independent of a reasoning process, or connected to a ‘spiritual’ awareness. Intuition, I would tell students, will come with experience so for now I want to see the hard slog of a differential diagnosis.

Julie Reynolds, in her presentation, described how five element acupuncture focuses on the ‘spirit’ and the importance of mind and emotion.

But at times she used the expression ‘spiritual’ and ‘spirits’ and I wonder what she meant by these different but similar words. Julie described the spirit as ‘the most yang and insubstantial aspect of ourselves’. Then Julie described TCM as ‘rejecting those historical aspects of traditional oriental medicine that reflected “spiritual” issues’. My question therefore is about the difference between ‘spirit’ and ‘spiritual’.

Spirit is the best translation we have of ‘shen’. Together with jing and qi (the san bao), shen is a fundamental concept of diagnosis and treatment.

The jing-qi-shen unity is at the heart of Chinese medicine and remains a key to the power of our medicine. Also ‘jingshen’ is commonly translated as ‘spiritual’, the manifestation of the life force. It was not the ‘jingshen’ that TCM sought to remove from its vital position in medicine. What the Chinese Communist Party sought to separate was any link of medicine to religion.

Further, for me with my western mind the expression ‘spiritual’ can too easily attach to a Judaeo-Christian heritage. So when we use the term ‘spiritual’ are we referring to ‘jingshen’ or to Daoism or Confucianism or Buddhism. Or is there another explanation?

Likewise the term ‘spirits’ for me can seem to conjure up the world of ‘ghosts’ (gui). Hsu (2007) translating from the Records of the Historian She ji from 86

BCE describes the difference between qi-breaths associated with shen-spirits and feng- winds with gui-ghosts. Both qi and feng connoted the spirit world with qi understood as internal winds and feng as external winds. It is qi that became central to Han dynasty elite medical writings as qi had agency, could move and cause movement, could accumulate and dissipate.

In Han times feng-winds were seen as associated with fecundityenhancing weather conditions such as rain and wind. It was in mediaeval times that the unruly nature of wind became the emphasis (Hsu, 2007), their harmfulness contingent on internal weakness (Kuriyama, 1999). And it was the Han dynasty doctors not TCM, who already began to separate from shamans who intervened with the gods on behalf of people beset by ancestral curses. Spirits and demons no longer belonged to categories of illness and disease (Unschuld, 1998) with mind and emotions related to body-internal processes comprehended in terms of qi (Hsu, 2007). However, the expression ’spirits’ is also a translation by Unschuld of the five correspondences as in the spirit of trees (gou mang), spirit of the West (ru shou) or spirit of soil (hou tu) etc. So perhaps the use of the Chinese expressions, even in pinyin, would help clarify what we are meaning.

I also found the talk by John Hamwee on intuition, especially his numerous anecdotes from his vast clinical experience, brought up so many more questions. In the contingent and embodied realm of the clinic there is no absolute certainty (Braude, 2009) so what do we mean by intuition? Is intuition a mystical transmission? Is intuition that knowledge that comes from a non-analytical process, that fast thinking that Kahneman (2011) describes, a practical reasoning. Is it our experiential knowledge that we have not yet articulated, a tacit knowledge as opposed to the knowledge of books and research papers?

Coming back to the ‘shen’ (the spirit), I picked up on John’s suggestion that we need to directly experience our patient’s energy, to focus on our intuition and make it conscious. He described looking at a person’s face through our peripheral vision, to sense their ‘shen’. It reminded me of

Foucault’s description in The Birth of the Clinic between the clinical ‘gaze' and the clinical ‘glance', the former analytical and technical with the latter appreciative and discriminatory, an exercise of the senses.

This looking at the colours, the fleeting emotions that we read from the face is so important in Chinese medicine. Bleakley et al (2003) describe this as ‘aesthetic’ reasoning with intuition emerging from a highly developed attention needing repeated training and focus. John says intuition is made more reliable if we get feedback on it but how to do this when we work on our own? He recommends writing down when our decision of treatment has come from intuition and that seems a way forward. We owe that to our patients as our diagnosis and point prescriptions are our contract with the patient. And we owe it to ourselves if we are going to learn and avoid biases. That is what might translate our intuition into propositional knowledge that we can then share with our colleagues.

The medicine we practise is a distinctly western and 21st century phenomenon that reaches back to the knowledge accumulated over 2,000 years of East Asian dialogue and practice and research. Through a growing number of historians, anthropologists and sinologists we are getting a better picture of the history and development of the many currents of our tradition (Scheid, 2007).

But there is also much in the western medical literature especially in the medical humanities that can help us with the issues we are dealing with in our practices.

Bleakley, A et al: Making sense of clinical reasoning: judgement and the evidence of the senses (Medical Education) Braude, HD: Clinical intuition versus statistics: different modes of tacit knowledge in clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine (Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics) Hsu, E: The experience of wind in early and medieval Chinese medicine (JRAI) Kahneman, D: Thinking Fast and Slow Kaptchuk, T: The Culture, History and Discourse of Oriental Medicine (JCM) Kuriyama, S: The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine Scheid, V: Currents of Tradition in Chinese Medicine 1626-2006 Unschuld, P: Forgotten Traditions of Ancient Chinese Medicine

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Community

27

On reflection

Pia Huber BAcC/GB Chair

We are in a climate emergency. Does this mean that we need to send our planet to A&E? Maybe it does, but we practitioners of East Asian medicine know that much more is required. We help our patients not just to get an immediate fix. We look at diet, herbs, exercise, rest and lifestyle in order to give patients the existential basis to rebalance and regain their health.

So does our planet Earth require our wider attention? A&E management is what may have half-heartedly been given at Cop26 in Glasgow. Now the real work begins, when we need to implement new ways to nurture and cajole the patient, planet Earth, back to health.

What can we do to contribute? I can only speak for myself, but what I have become very conscious of is that I want to fly less, which means taking the train instead of the plane when I can. If I do fly I try to make the most of it, going away for at least a week rather than just a weekend. I am cycling to work rather than taking the tube with the added advantages that my daily exercise gets a great boost and I avoid crowded spaces where pathogens are circulating. I am buying needles with bamboo guide tubes, reducing the plastic waste I am producing. I have turned down the heating at home and instead put on more layers to keep warm. I keep away from shops and make ever more use of what I have already, including mending mine and my partner’s jumpers (London is a moth city!). And I have been asking my pension provider for sustainable investments. Just a few examples of where I hope I can contribute to help our planet.

I am sure many of us are rethinking our ways of living. We may also wonder what doing these small things can really do to help? Well, I can only hope that the conscious energies many people now put into changing the smaller details of their lives will also have an

impact on the big changes we need.

On behalf of us all, the BAcC has made environmental care part of its strategy.

So what exactly has been done? A lot of paperwork has been replaced by online and electronic versions. When I started my role on the Governing Board (GB) we used to be sent a stack of printed paper, most of which was discarded straight after the meetings. Now all of our GB meeting documentation is delivered electronically via the internet, saving paper, ink, printing time and postage. The same applies to all other BAcC committees and to any papers previously sent out to members, including Acu. Although there will still be certain circumstances where printed versions are appropriate, the measures taken have hugely reduced the environmental impact.

The BAcC office has been downsized substantially and eventually it will move to a more easily reachable shared office space, with shared desk space for the staff when they’re not working from home. Hopefully this will combine flexible working arrangements with good face-to-face interactions when necessary. It should also save energy both in terms of using office space more efficiently as well as cutting commuting journeys and time.

Let’s all keep on looking for ways of doing what we can to help our planet; the real work has only just begun.

28

Community

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

When the wind of change blows Jonathan Pledger Joint Principal: CICM

There is no doubt that the last 18 months have seen incredible change in education and in acupuncture education specifically. Teaching, learning and assessment have had a gigantic shake up in this time. I think the effect on most organisations is that the change that was already going to happen before March 2020, has happened much faster since then. This is certainly true at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM).

One of the challenges for all of us I am sure over the next 12 months is to manage that change in a sustainable and productive way. There has been a lot of talk about finding a new normal and that is precisely where we as a college are at the moment. As the proverb says: when the wind of change blows, some build walls, while others build windmills. Now is the time for windmill making.

We have found ourselves embracing new technology to improve our delivery and to engage with students in another way. For example, our students tell us that they enjoy learning from home as it’s more relaxed, more convenient and cheaper with less travel, and they can

have all their books to hand while they are in their virtual class.

That is not to say that teaching on Zoom is the answer to all problems. It has been an excellent vehicle to allow us to deliver the curriculum during lockdowns and will allow us to be even more prepared should another lockdown be with us again. But teachers and students have had to adjust their teaching and learning styles massively,

and now we have time to reflect, to see how we can maximise the benefits and minimise the disadvantages.

One of the main advantages that all students have enjoyed over the last year and a half is that all their Zoom lectures have been recorded and made available on the virtual learning environment (VLE) for our students to watch back whenever they wish. In response, earlier this year we invested

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 in classroom recording equipment, so that since the beginning of this academic year students have had not only their Zoom lessons recorded but also their theory lectures in college.

The changing situation over the last 18 months has accelerated our drive to develop more online resources and we are investing in a more blended learning approach. Our students will increasingly be able to read, watch and listen to resources before the lesson and work through some self-study review questions before attending their lectures. This frees up time to have more discussion in college and more of an in-depth exploration of theory and case histories. This in turn means that we are also looking at how we structure our course. We are taking a slow, purposeful approach to our windmill construction, consulting as we go.

We are also revisiting how we deliver our CPD programme and one-year courses, potentially introducing more online as well as in-person options with the aim of being as accessible as possible.

These changes mean we can enhance what we do. We will only ever be able to teach the practical skills in college, although as we have discovered over the lockdowns,

these subjects can be supported by online learning.

The support from lecturers, admin and students has been phenomenal and everyone has been so positive about embracing the changes we have made, both through necessity and now as a new way of being.

The one constant throughout all of this is our focus on our core values and that will not change. We remain committed to offering top-class education grounded in an integrative style of acupuncture. Our lecturers continue to deliver lessons with passion and expertise and our admin team continue to power the college engine. We strive to provide the best support we can for our students, who have thrived despite two very difficult years. We have graduated 74 students since March 2020, all of whom have persevered through incredibly disruptive times to learn, develop and thrive. Since this time all of our subsequent four intakes have been oversubscribed; the demand to receive and learn acupuncture is stronger than ever it appears.

The CICM windmill is turning as fast as ever and we are looking forward to embracing change while maintaining the CICM ethos.

Keeping an eye on educational change A brief update on behalf of the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board Throughout the pandemic, the Board and Accreditation Committee of British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) have recorded their admiration and support for the committed and effective response of CICM and all the other accredited course providers to the challenges of delivering high quality teaching and learning in unprecedentedly difficult circumstances. The move to online learning was at the heart of this response.

The BAAB supports online learning as part of a blended curriculum, and in 2016 published the Online Learning Matrix (OLM), a comprehensive tool for evaluating online systems for acupuncture learning and teaching.

When lockdowns were introduced in response to the pandemic, the BAAB swiftly assured course providers that online teaching and assessment could replace face-toface where necessary, providing standards were maintained.

Although clinical skills and practice inevitably had to be delayed, most other subjects could

be delivered online and course providers and students found the accessibility and convenience of the virtual learning environment was a benefit. Details of effective practice in this area were shared at the BAAB Education Day in June.

The Accreditation Committee continues to monitor the situation, through regular reports from the course providers and the Annual Monitoring Audit Form (AMAF) they complete. Overall, the pandemic has accelerated the use of online learning and teaching in acupuncture education, and imaginative and creative ways to teach have emerged. Providing it is balanced with plenty of physical face-to-face encounters, this is a welcome development which brings our profession firmly into the modern global world.

Harriet Lansdown Lead Accreditation Officer Paul Probyn Accreditation Officer

Community

29

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

NORTHERN COLLEGE OF ACUPUNCTURE Kirsty Arthur Paul Davison Teresa Ann Dawkes Victoria Louise Denton Hannah Dickinson Angela Dougal Nicola Glennie Sian Goodwin Pamela Haigh Stephanie Halbani Catherine Heathcote Catherine Hutchison Andrew Jennings Jiayan Liu Hayley Lomas Katie Rowan Lee Helen Morritt Sara O’Connor Katherine Ritchie Graham Steele Rachel Tattersall Deanna Thomas Holly Jo Van de Velde Jacqueline Webster Jamie Woolley The copy deadline for this issue was 19 October 2021. 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.

What's new in research?

What's happening at your college?

The NCA's research news on page 7 is all very encouraging for UK acupuncture.

So what's happening elsewhere?

Let's hear about what's going on in your college and help forge some links across the profession.

Send news of your research projects and developments to 〉 editor@acupuncture.org.

30

Community

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Conference 2021: Zoom in or out?

It's a yes from four online delegates REVIEW

Joanne Middleton Member: Cheshire

A job well done by the BAcC 2021 online conference organisers. Early risers – not me! – could enliven themselves with qigong or self tuina.

A great variety of topics were covered, including clinical, research, business and professional issues, so something for everyone. I particularly enjoyed the celebrating research session, as well as Mike Cumming’s excellent talk on the biomedical perspective and Liquin Zhao’s integrating acupuncture and IVF. Discussions brought up the tricky subject of promoting ourselves in a way that is acceptable to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) – all very timely as I was about to release a new website, which has now been modified!

As it turned out, I could not have attended a ‘live’ conference as I had tested positive for Covid-19 four days earlier. Being in isolation in the spare bedroom afforded me the luxury of remaining in bed in my PJs all day, which was why I politely declined to unmute and switch on my video to personally ask a question. I could even have a snooze if I needed to, without having to worry about missing out as all the lectures and slides were forwarded after the conference.

The ability to type in questions was great, as they were all answered and everyone who wanted to was able to contribute somehow, which isn’t always possible at a live conference.

So, BAcC, absolutely do offer a remote option for future conferences. Whilst of course it is fantastic to be able to get together in person and network, an online conference becomes available to a much wider audience. Plus it’s greener too. What’s not to like?

Matthew Ackroyd Member: London

I was a both excited and wary when I heard that this year’s conference was going to be online. I’ve never yet managed to get to an annual conference since I graduated (some time ago now!). I’ve always wanted to come, but regular working on a Friday evening and Saturday day meant that it was always a struggle to justify coming for just one day. But now, I had the perfect opportunity to attend a Sunday from the comfort of my own home.

Ah, but Zoom? I’ve spent the last two years teaching online.

It’s been a struggle and a joy. I wouldn’t say I was Zoom fatigued but I wouldn’t say I love staring at a screen for hours either. Like many people over the last year I’ve experienced the chaos and bemusement when it all goes wrong, everyone talks over each other, and the breakout rooms allocation doesn’t work. But this time – at least while I was there – no such frustrations arose and any minor glitches where dealt with professionally and swiftly.

I was especially intrigued to see that Sunday was focused on a range of topics I’ve been interested in personally, particularly over the last few years, including long Covid and the biomedical perspective on acupuncture. On the day, Mike Cummings professionalism, energy and dedication in relation to his work with acupuncture really shone through.

The long Covid panel members were also very informative; they drew on a wide range of approaches to diagnosis and practical treatments, as well as highlighting the risk of over treatment. A particularly valuable insight. I would happily have spent an hour listening to any one of them speak

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 about their experience of treating this illness. The wealth of experience was invaluable.

Looking at the layout of the day I was really pleased to see that not only did I get to attend the talks I was interested in, but I also got to rewatch the entire day at my leisure; that’s great value for money. A huge thankyou to the BAAC for a very enjoyable day and for bringing us all together. I hope to see you in 2022 for more events, both online and face to face!

Community

A dash of this…

Felicity Moir BAcC Fellow: London

The BAcC annual conference took place on Zoom on 18 and 19 September. It was great to see so many people attend but sad that we missed again the benefits of a ‘live’ conference, seeing old friends and colleagues and meeting new members. It is the ’spirit’ that we feel at a live event that we crave. Also unfortunately, in an online conference, there is no time for any in-depth discussion to check translations and meanings speakers might have or colleagues’ opinions. With any learning it is the schemata we already have that determines what we hear and it is when we find ourselves confused we have to question that schemata. Two presentations in particular set me pondering: what do we mean by 'spirit' and what do we mean by 'intuition'. So much so that I wanted to explore what was discussed in greater length, which you can read about in an Opinion piece I've written for this issue. There were other really interesting talks and contributions which I am sure we all came away from with different feelings and more questions. Thank you to the BAcC for continuing to use this expanded technology to challenge our knowledge and views and look forward to when we can meet again in spirit.

a hint of that…

plus more of these…

Lou Radford Member: Perth & Kinross

I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised by this year’s conference. I hadn’t relished the thought of yet another Zoom session for several hours – but on the other hand, at least it wouldn’t involve a long journey south from Scotland to attend an actual event.

I decided on just the Sunday session, despite the rude 8.30am start! I had hoped for some ‘meatier’ topics, as over the years I’ve been to lots of seminars covering the same subject areas as were listed. But what a joy it was to start off with two enthusiastic and articulate students, Josh Barrow (first year at ICOM) and Chloe Chattington (CICM).

I was at ICOM many years ago, and as Josh was talking about his first-year experience of being taught at my old college, I was hugely impressed with his range of knowledge and his early grasp of Chinese medicine.

Chloe gave a detailed analysis of a case history to illustrate ‘Clearing a Misted Mind and Supporting the Heart’, which was excellent in its breadth and perception, and she showed real empathy for and understanding of the patient.

I was very heartened to see these two students reflecting the excellent standard of education being achieved by the colleges; I found that part of the Sunday session particularly inspiring and it filled me with renewed optimism for the future of our profession – it surprised and delighted me! It was a great start to my conference experience, and quite lifted my mood and my approach to the rest of the day.

Liqin Zhao gave a very useful and detailed presentation on ‘Celebrating Integration: Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine and IVF’, although 45 minutes was not enough time to present or absorb such detail. I would have appreciated a longer session, but it was useful and I look forward to studying the available notes.

Warm thanks and congratulations go especially to Helen Gibb, learning and events manager, who I believe was responsible for organising all the tech stuff and making the online conference fit together so seamlessly. I had no problems at all logging on, or going to the breakout sessions, thanks to her organisational skills and clear instructions. It definitely made this year’s conference not only manageable but actually rather enjoyable. Well done, Team!

of those… and plenty

We want to hear what you want!

We’re working hard to confirm plans for our 2022 events calendar and we’d love to hear your ideas.

Next year’s line-up includes the ARRC symposium and BAcC conference, with the hope we can meet in person once again. We’re also continuing to plan various webinar series and campaigns.

As ever, we are always open to suggestions and want to work with you to host content you consider of interest and benefit. So, if you have any speaker or topic ideas and/or campaign and conference theme suggestions, please get in touch with our learning and events manager, Helen Gibb.

Helen Gibb 〉 events@acupuncture.org.uk.

31

32

Community

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 I got to know Lillian Bridges both as an eager student on one of her ever-popular face reading courses and, in my role as conference organiser, when we had occasion to speak together at the BAcC or other similar conferences. Lillian’s workshops were always firm favourites. You could guarantee that her classes would be the first to fill up.

Such was her enthusiasm for facial diagnostics that if you were talking with Lillian one-to-one, you got the distinct impression she might be scouring your face to find ways to give tips and guidance on how best to move forward in your life!

Indeed, she did this to me on many occasions and I was truly grateful for, and inspired by, her wise words. She had such exuberance! If anyone had found life’s elixir, I’d say Lillian had done so... which makes it all the sadder that she has left us behind. But of course, as a legacy, we have her books.

In my memory, and in that of all her students I’m sure, will remain a resounding echo of her joyful laughter, her passion, her insights, her warmth.

Lillian Pearl Bridges TRIBUTE Gifted teacher. Accomplished face reader. Compassionate friend. These are a few of the many tributes on a website in memory of Lillian Bridges following her recent death in late September 2021. She was of Chinese American origin and learned her skills from a line of master practitioners in her Chen family lineage. She was credited for bringing the knowledge of face reading back to the field of Chinese medicine, and her book, Face Reading in Chinese Medicine was published in 2012 and became a best seller within its genre.

She was a teacher with immense charisma and skill who could bring a room alive and have all participants mesmerised. She taught face reading CPD courses at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) in Reading to many graduates and students as well as members of the public between 2006 and 2017. She also taught in many countries and at many acupuncture conferences. She was a regular speaker at the Rothenburg TCM Kongress in Germany, as well as at events in the United States and here at the BAcC’s annual conference. She was truly unique in her ability to inspire her students and because of this she became one of CICM’s most popular speakers.

I first met Lillian at an introductory face reading seminar hosted by Julian Scott in Bath in 2005. I was so captivated that although I only expected to attend for one day, I cancelled my commitments and returned for the second day – bringing along John, my husband, who wanted to find out more about this person I was raving on about. He too was captivated.

From then on between 2006 and 2017, the College hosted Lillian presenting one- and two-day face reading seminars in the UK. She was an open and empathetic teacher, always willing to admit to her failings and inadequacies and at the same time showing us how she learnt from them; by doing this she allowed others to admit to theirs. I learnt a lot from her about how to embrace other people for their authentic attributes. By her example she encouraged others to take pride in themselves and to value the unique qualities that she showed us how to read on their faces.

So many students and graduates from many acupuncture colleges and from around the world admired her for the work she did, and all of us in this extended acupuncture ‘family’ will greatly miss her presence in the Chinese medicine world. We send out peace, light and love to all her family and friends.

Angie Hicks Joint Principal: CICM

Janice Booth BAcC Fellow: Wiltshire

‘Showtime!’ I often heard Lillian exclaim as she stepped up to take the stage at one of the numerous congresses she was invited to as the world’s leading face reading expert.

Many will rightly sing her praises for her pioneering work in this field, her quick, perceptive mind and her lively teaching style, full of anecdotes from her colourful life. Her untimely death leaves us her legacy in the books and online courses she put so much work into, so that her knowledge is not lost and the precious thread of tradition is not broken.

As teachers, our paths crossed many times and I got to know her well with our shared passion for music. A gifted and natural performer, blessed with a clear, beautiful voice, she sang jazz standards – Summertime, All of Me, Over The Rainbow, I’ll Be Seeing You… – and composed her own songs on piano, children’s songs written for her grandchildren.

The popular and successful Saturday evening concerts at the annual Rothenburg TCM Kongress in Germany, one of the largest gatherings of Chinese medicine practitioners worldwide, would never have happened without Lillian.

Evolving from humble beginnings as singalongs in Hell, the town’s intoxicating after-hours meeting place, we took the music to a much larger audience in the elegant Rococo Room at the Wildbad Hotel, creating a space for talented teachers and practitioners to share their love of music in an accessible and joyful format that we also took to congresses in Denmark, London (pictured) and Vancouver, Canada. A highlight of the evening was always Lillian singing Icelandic singer Hera’s song Chocolate, with helpers suitably placed to throw chocolates into the audience during the chorus, ‘Choco-late, it melts the pain away, it melts the pain away…’

When someone so full of life dies, the silence is deafening.

I miss her bright, vivacious spirit, her kindness, her intelligence and her unremitting enthusiasm for life. She has gone on, but the experiences we shared together remain.

Hers was a full life well-lived.

Peter Firebrace BAcC Fellow: Denmark

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Community

33

Three fine fellows for 2021 At this year’s AGM we announced the award of three new BAcC fellowships. Members are awarded a fellowship as a special thank you for outstanding services to the acupuncture profession and to the BAcC. We congratulate, celebrate and thank all three of our latest BAcC fellows for all they have done so far to enhance our profession.

Rebecca Avern has a long-standing commitment to acupuncture. Many years ago she assisted with and edited Giovanni Maciocia’s book Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine; she is also a long-time senior faculty member of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) and is currently a clinical supervisor and senior lecturer.

Lately Rebecca has set up an affordable community acupuncture centre for children called The Little Acupuncture Room, which offers low cost treatment as well as the opportunity for students and practitioners to observe paediatric practice. Rebecca has published two books – Acupuncture for Babies, Children and Teenagers, and more recently, Chinese Medicine for Childhood Anxiety and Depression: a practical guide for practitioners and parents – as well as a number of articles in JCM. Rebecca writes: I am honoured and humbled to have been made a fellow of the BAcC. I do what I do because I love it and it took me completely by surprise to receive a fellowship.

My hope and vision is to enable more of us to work with children. Historically in the west there has been a perception that acupuncture is just not for kids. This could not be further from the truth, and they need us now more than ever, considering the meteoric rise in teenage mental health problems and chronic childhood conditions.

Thank you BAcC, for supporting me and all your members to make sure more and more people benefit from our amazing medicine.

Sally Blades receives a fellowship for her tireless work in mentoring and supervision.

Together with Isobel Cosgrove she has trained over 100 mentorsupervisors in the acupuncture profession. She is and has been a mentor for many acupuncturists in one-to-one and in group settings.

Through this work she has helped members to reflect on their work, prevent burnout and become better practitioners able to deal with problems in their practices and with patient interactions.

Sally writes: It is a great surprise and honour to be nominated for and awarded a BAcC fellowship, I am in truly illustrious company.

As the nomination comes from members, before being approved by the committee, it is even more touching as it tells me that we as a profession value the work that supervisor/mentors do.

It is deeply fulfilling and inspiring for me to work alongside colleagues in this way, in groups, one-to-one settings and on the supervision/mentoring training.

It gives me, and others, meaningful connection, nourishment and support.

My heartfelt thanks to my nominees, and to everyone I have worked with in the last 25 years as a supervisor/ mentor; it is you who sustain and inspire me. Let's keep growing together.

Rosey Grandage has been with the BAcC from the earliest beginnings and has served on various committees and panels, including the interview panel for the admission of new members. She was a member of the original Executive Committee of the BAcC and led on forming the regional/local groups to ensure that the BAcC leadership and office was connected with its members across the country.

For many years Rosey served on the former Professional Conduct Committee and was involved in developing the Codes of Professional Conduct and Safe Practice; she also chaired the Adverse Events Committee.

More recently, as a member of the Governing Board Rosey made important contributions in developing our latest BAcC strategy. At the same time, she was also involved with working with the Welsh government to develop their plan for licensing of special procedures to try to ensure that BAcC members were recognised for their level of training and competency.

Rosey is a longstanding teacher of qigong and tuina, teaching both at the University of Westminster and the International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM). She has a passion to share her knowledge and skills and also offers workshops and retreats.

34

Community

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Contemplating mentoringsupervision With a new year approaching, Helen Gibb looks at why now might be the perfect time to give mentoring-supervision a try

Helen Gibb Learning & Events Manager Mentoring-supervision is not for everyone, and we all learn, reflect and grow in different ways, which is why it isn’t mandatory for BAcC members to partake in regular sessions – although it is fantastic CPD! For many practitioners, however, it is the corner-stone of their practice.

Attending regular sessions can help to prevent burn-out and the feelings of isolation at work. It can also make you feel more empowered and sure of yourself and your practice.

Additionally, the need for mentoring-supervision seems more prevalent than ever since the pandemic. For all of these reasons it remains important for the BAcC to continue providing an avenue of support to members through our official register.

What does mentoring-supervision mean?

The majority of acupuncturists work alone, either at home or in clinics, without colleague support. So, be it a oneto-one or group session that you invest yourself and your time in, mentoring-supervision can provide you with that support network.

Mentoring focuses on the acupuncturist as a person and their practice, while supervision focuses on clinical practice and the patient. Sessions give you a safe space to talk confidentially through your worries or any problems you are facing, such as a difficult patient or finding new avenues to promote your clinic.

Mentor-supervisors can help provide a new perspective, often from their own experiences, to help you overcome challenges and grow in confidence in your decision making.

Sometimes it’s just useful to talk to others who are in the same boat as you; to know you’re not alone in your thoughts, feelings and frustrations.

What do I have to do?

As with many things in life, the unknown and preconceived perceptions can put you off giving mentoring-supervision a go. How does it work? How often do I have to attend? These are two common questions that people often want answered before they start – but the key message is: it’s up to you!

Mentors-supervisors are there to support you and will work

For more inspiration and information

Check out our mentoring-supervision session from the BAcC conference 2021.

Listen to mentor-supervisor Cathy Chapman and menteesupervisee Susannah Bentley talk passionately about the benefits 〉 youtu.be/QEVhRxqS1FA You can watch an extended version of Cathy’s talk here 〉 youtu.be/amEYCdUbwKk

with you to find a schedule that strikes the right balance.

Sessions can vary from hour-long weekly or monthly oneto-ones to full-day group meetings three or four times a year. One-to-one sessions give you plenty of time to focus on you and talk through any issues you have. Whereas group sessions give you the chance to also listen to others, which might in turn help you to reflect on yourself and increase your awareness of new situations and possibilities.

You need to find the right fit for you, so please start by reaching out to any member on our register to start up the conversation.

How can I find a mentor-supervisor?

You can access mentoring-supervision through various avenues outside of acupuncture and our register is not an exhaustive list of acupuncturists who provide mentoringsupervision. There are other organisations and groups charging different rates and in some cases nothing at all. For more ideas check out the article Nurturing Our Practice Acu. 〉 spring 2020, page 22 All of the people listed on the BAcC mentoring-supervision register are BAcC members who have been assessed and approved by our application process. They’ve all gained over 60 hours of training and are in regular mentoring-supervision sessions themselves.

We are also pleased to have welcomed five more practitioners to the register since October: Susan Adams, Shelley Brelinsky, Judith Blair, Sarah Collison, Caroline Haigh and Clare Venters Smith.

The pandemic has opened new doors and increased access, so even if you can’t find someone local to you, sessions can take place online or on the phone. You can find the current list of registered mentor-supervisors on the inside back cover of this issue – and for a more in-depth look at their profiles, please visit the Member website 〉 acupuncture.org.uk/ mentoring-supervision

Are you a trained mentor-supervisor?

If you would like to apply to be on the BAcC register, please get in touch by email and I can let you know when the next application window is open.

Helen Gibb 〉 h.gibb@acupuncture.org.uk

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Catch up with regional groups Even when events are held online, regional groups help circulate information and can provide you with local forums and support.

And with so many get-togethers still happening via Zoom, more than ever before you'll receive a welcome at any meeting anywhere in the UK. Check the website for upcoming events. And don't forget to log on to access full details of each event and to contact the local regional group coordinator.

Community

BACC OFFICE CHIEF EXECUTIVE 1 Jennifer Norton 07876 443173 j.norton@acupuncture.org.uk FINANCE MANAGER 2 Juliana Zipperlin 07876 443171 j.zipperlin@acupuncture.org.uk

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

LEARNING & EVENTS MANAGER 3 Helen Gibb 07984 263679 h.gibb@acupuncture.org.uk MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT OFFICER 4 Montana Sheikh 07903 827615 m.sheikh@acupuncture.org.uk MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 5 Stephen Rainbird 07903 827987 s.rainbird@acupuncture.org.uk POLICY & RESEARCH MANAGER 6 Ian Appleyard 07984 263436 a.appleyard@acupuncture.org.uk PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OFFICER 7 Caroline Jones 07984 263485 c.jones@acupuncture.org.uk PUBLICATIONS MANAGER 8 Ann Gordon 07984 440780 a.gordon@acupuncture.org.uk SAFE PRACTICE OFFICER 9 Hannah Bowie-Carlin 07808 764512 h.bowie-carlin@acupuncture.org.uk SYSTEMS & OPERATIONS MANAGER 10 Gloria Jean-Baptiste Flament 07903 827880 gloria.jbf@acupuncture.org.uk

35

36

Community

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021

Catch up with the PRWG Member Susan Evans offers background and updates from the team of people working towards professional recognition for BAcC members

Susan Evans GB Member & PRWG Chair The theme of this issue, Essence, provides a fitting description of the work of the Professional Recognition Working Group (PRWG). Getting the essence of our work as acupuncturists recognised is exactly what we aim to do.

Now is the time to move forward with claiming our professional recognition.

The PRWG was set up in the autumn of 2020, in response to members asking us to seek greater recognition for our profession. Paul Blacker was the first chair and I was asked to take over in January 2021, so mine has been a relatively short tenure to date. I must admit to being both excited and a little daunted by this task.

Having been a BAcC member since its beginnings, I have experienced the disappointment of not getting state regulation and then losing our expectation of a royal charter at the eleventh hour. Those were tough times for us all: we really felt the rug had been pulled from under our feet.

At the start of the pandemic, we quickly realised that not being state regulated meant that we were not regarded as frontline workers. However, our voluntary register accreditation with the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), allowed us to challenge the authorities and to return to supporting our high needs patients.

In strong collaboration with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM), we brought out our Covid-19 guidelines, which facilitated a return to doing what we love. At the same time, we challenged specific local authorities who had decided we should not be working and succeeded in overturning their decisions, enabling more members to return to work.

During the second lockdown, however, we had an issue when both the Scottish and Welsh governments decided our patients needed to have a referral by a state regulated professional. There was no basis for this, and we have challenged both governments on this poor decision. As a result, we’ve now been given the opportunity to feed

and lobby for local government support. It is often easier to work from the ground up than trying to get in at the top table. The UK jurisdictions all work very differently so one approach may not fit everywhere.

We meet on Zoom three times a year and it’s a privilege to work with a group of people who bring such different perspectives to the table.

Incidentally, we currently have a vacancy in Scotland which we would love to fill, so please contact me or the office if you might be interested.

Through the PSA the BAcC has Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) status which is a stepping-stone to gaining further recognition. The fact that GPs can refer to members of accredited registers is something we can all promote as practitioners, in whichever country we’re based.

As already mentioned, nurturing affiliations is a large part of the PRWG’s raison d’être. We are establishing relationships with organisations with shared goals and more If every member of the generally, those which will accreditation scheme used help both the BAcC and all the PSA logo public awareness our members. of its significance would One such relationship is likely be enhanced with the group of other AVRs, where we discuss matters of mutual interest including how we for your patience. In the meantime, may influence the work of the PSA and the PRWG are working on improving how each register acts as regulator of recognition in other ways. their members. One area we want to The PRWG is made up of influence is the public awareness of representatives from Northern Ireland, what the PSA is all about. Thousands Scotland, Wales, England and the of members are regulated through this Channel Islands with a couple of voluntary scheme. If every member of experts and members of BAcC staff. the accreditation scheme used the PSA The great thing about having local logo public awareness of its significance representatives is that they can form would likely be enhanced. relationships within their own areas into the Scottish public enquiry and to request explanations for this decision. As all the countries have eased restrictions at different rates, enews keeps members up to date with what is happening within their own area.

As mentioned, the main aim of the PRWG is to gain full recognition for the acupuncture our highly trained members offer, whatever style they may choose. We view this as a long-term project, with much influencing to be procured.

State regulation (SR) is not on the table in the present political landscape.

However, if it became a choice, we would consult with all members about the way forward. We’re at the beginning of an exploration of SR this time around and the very different landscape in which we find ourselves could mean that the process is lengthy. We ask

State regulation is not on the table in the present political landscape

Acu. | Issue #33 | Winter 2021 Additional successful links we’ve been fostering are with other acupuncture organisations including the Register for Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM), the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) and the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP), with the aim of looking at common areas of interest. For example, within these collaborations we are considering how we might gather data for commissioning purposes using the latest NICE guideline for chronic pain. Always, as we forge these relationships we are conscious of maintaining our integrity as traditional East Asian medicine practitioners. Incidentally, do check out the chronic pain section of our website for resources to support your work in light of the new NICE guideline.

Other exciting exchanges have been our contacts with relevant charities. For example, we’ve reached out to a Fibromyalgia charity and are collaborating on an article for them to publish with the new NICE guideline in mind.

We’ve also been involved in the development of the new BAcC website and the updating of fact sheets so that members can use all the latest research to support their work and further promote their professional recognition.

The next big push as a group is to form an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for the BAcC. We want a range of MPs from all parties to support us in our professional recognition. If you think your local MP might be interested, please let us know so we can get in touch with them directly.

Lastly, we are looking at local licensing and blood donation deferrals, aiming for improved terms and conditions for BAcC members.

In the meantime, every member can help us in seeking further recognition and here are five top tips for action: 1 Use the PSA logo! It is available to download on the BAcC website.

2 Promote yourself to your local GPs as a member of an accredited register.

3 Refer to the latest NICE guideline re chronic pain.

4 Let the PRWG know if you have a supportive MP. 5 Use the BAcC website to update your own website, with research outcomes, the current member logo, the latest advertising information, and our growing library of webinars.

If you have other ideas about gaining further recognition and/or useful contacts to that effect we would love to hear from you via the email below.

Susan Evans 〉 s.evans@acupuncture.org.uk

Community

37

Committee briefing A snapshot guide to your Governing Board, committees, and the BAAB. All are made up of practitioners and non-practitoners (according to expertise). To find out who does what, please email the contact address below the relevant committee.

Governing Board (GB) Chair: Pia Huber •

• • •

•

•

ensures that the BAcC continues to flourish and aspire to ‘a world in which traditional acupuncture is accepted as a valid healthcare choice’ sets strategy and policy, in consultation with and advised by members appoints the chief executive and approves committee members oversees implementation of strategy and effective/efficient management of the BAcC through the chief executive and committees ensures compliance with the company's objects, governing documents and all relevant legislation and regulation ensures prudence in respect of managing the company's assets

GB meeting dates for 2021/22: 17 December, 8 March, 22 June, 11 October, 13 December. Up to two observers welcome – please email for details 〉 p.huber@acupuncture.org.uk

Professional Standards and Regulatory Committee (PSRC) Acting chair: Alan Longcroft • • • •

•

a.longcroft@acupuncture.org.uk

Professional Recognition Working Group (PRWG) Chair: Susan Evans •

• •

Finance, Risk and Audit Committee (FRAC) Chair: Richard Costella (BAcC treasurer) •

•

responsible for reviewing and providing guidance on the BAcC’s financial matters, including participation in overseeing the development of the BAcC gives assurance to the GB by: monitoring financial performance against budget, internal controls, accountability policies and financial planning, distribution of timely accurate and user-friendly financial reports

Nominations Committee (NC) Chair: Pia Huber •

•

Membership Services Committee (MSC) Chair: Joanna Brown

•

oversight of the development and promotion of membership services, including professional development, regional support public relations and opportunities for businesses oversight of the recruitment and retention of members, ensuring that membership policies and procedures are fit for purpose

•

•

advises the GB and chief executive on pay and reward issues throughout the BAcC, with a particular focus on the pay of the chief executive and any reward, incentive or pensions issues reviews the level of attendance allowance payable to committee members across all committees s.scruton@acupuncture.org.uk

ensure that key positions in the BAcC governance structure are filled with the most suitable candidates, recruited via open, fair and professional processes ensure that proper reviews and recommendations are carried out on behalf of the GB regarding six-monthly funding bids for community projects and annual nominations for fellowships p.huber@acupuncture.org.uk

British Acupuncture Accreditation Board Chair: Professor Mike Saks • •

s.rainbird@acupuncture.org.uk

Remuneration Committee (RC) Chair: Pia Huber

improve the status of acupuncturists as healthcare professionals within local and national government work on gaining UK-wide exemption from local licensing work on gaining exemption for BAcC members for the blood donation referral period h.bowie-carlin@acupuncture.org.uk

j.zipperlin@acupuncture.org.uk

•

development and promotion of standards for the profession policy development for education and training and associated services oversight of policy and guidance concerning safe practice ensuring enhancement and maintenance of the BAcC’s Professional Standards Authority accredited register status developing effective professional recognition activities

•

•

independent body working closely with and on behalf of the BAcC fosters and monitors high educational and professional standards for accredited acupuncture course providers, so that the general public can be assured that graduates from BAAB-accredited programmes are knowledgeable, reflective, competent and safe acupuncture practitioners believes that it is through the accreditation and approval of teaching programmes, that our profession demonstrates its maturity, its capacity for effective self-regulation and its public accountability not-for-profit company focusing on acupuncture education in the UK baab@acupuncture.org.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

ADVERTISING For full details of our advertising policy, guidelines and rates, please contact editor@acupuncture.org.uk NB Whenever we edit or decline a submission we keep full records of our decision and all relevant correspondence.

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

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Leicester Opportunity to take over established Saturday clinic from February 2022 working as associate in friendly, busy, multi-therapy city centre clinic. Hours to suit: weekly/fortnightly. Other days possible if required. Everything provided/full reception cover/car parking. Contact Julie Devlin/Dr Ilan Shahor 0116 2511647.

Surrey Acupuncturist required, to work independently and join our friendly multidisciplinary centre in Sanderstead, South Croydon, CR2 9EE. Please contact the clinic manager on lindsay.davis@ btinternet.com or 07711 616550 or visit our website and click on Room hire to view the rooms: www.etherapies.co.uk

FOR SALE Due to retirement Multidisciplinary practice: traditional acupuncture, remedial massage, manipulation, chiropody. Suit one to three people. Room for expansion. Established 32 years/large patient base. I am last therapist of this type in area. Patients come from Manchester and Jersey. Accounts from 2006. POA: grogandiana4@ gmail.com On retirement Vinco Disposable Needles. 30 boxes ½”/22x13 gauge; 30 boxes 1”/25x25 gauge; 30 boxes 1½”/30x40 gauge. Expiry dates variously 2023/24.

Current list price £5.75 per box (£517)/sale price £3.75 or £300 for all boxes. Collect, or buyer pays postage. Telephone Philip 07525 969710.

Red flag webinars for all All members are invited to join Hannah Bowie-Carlin, the BAcC safe practice officer, as she hosts a series of evening webinars.

The wealth of information available on red flags is being covered over three live sessions.

The second live webinar – Red flags #2 – is set to take place on Tuesday 14 December 7-8.30pm.

Webinars are free to attend, with recordings available to download in case you miss the live event.

You can find Red flags #1 on the Member website 〉 Code and Guide to safe practice 〉 Additional Resources Please note: Q&A sessions at the end of each webinar are not recorded

Contribute!

Your Acu.

With the year of the Water Tiger nearly upon us, the next issue of Acu. will be doing its bit to usher in the Winds of Spring.

Issue #34...

In the season of wood and wind related pathologies, expect danger, chaos and adventure: new beginnings, opportunities and challenges. And a good spring clean never goes amiss. How do we find ways of harnessing the turbulence in practice?

Send your ideas, submissions and pictures to editor@acupuncture.org.uk

QIGONG FOR THE FIVE ZANG I’ve created this course especially for acupuncturists. Strengthen and harmonise the five zang and related channels for health and wellbeing. 6 videos/3 hours.

Plus lots more qigong courses, video lectures, e-books etc. at

peterdeadman.teachable.com

Take your practice to the next level

COME AND JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF SPECIALIST FERTILITY ACUPUNCTURISTS The Advanced Level Diploma in Fertility Acupuncture covers diagnosing with Western medicine and treating complex fertility, pregnancy and IVF issues with TCM. This online course provides over 20 hours of teaching by Naava Carman, backed-up by research, handouts to use with clients, case studies, and treatment plans for acupuncture and herbs.

Once you have completed the course you can join the community Facebook Group for lots of benefits including free monthly CPD, mentoring and peer support.

Find out more at: www.fertilitysupport.training

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 ongoing supervision with senior members of the network.

Contact your nearest practitioner to join a group, or for individual sessions Argyll, West Coast of Scotland Emma Vaughan 01546 606611 Birmingham Holly Timmermans 07790 205797 Birmingham & Hereford Lucy Fox 07941 413805 Bristol & North Somerset Charlotte Brydon-Smith 07900 814100 Jackie Pamment 07789 905390 Cambridge Frankie Luckock 07717 285248

Hertfordshire cont.

Helen Thomas 07790 363867

London cont.

Isobel Cosgrove 07791 581608

Hertfordshire/ St Albans Sarah Barnard 07968 140516

Mina Haeri 07957 726072

Herefordshire & Welsh Borders Sandy Sandaver 01497 821625 Ireland Susan Evans 07966 885894 Lancashire Cathy Chapman 01524 67707 Leamington Spa & the Midlands Debbie Collins 07960 040985

Glasgow Francesca Howell 07895 108473

Leicestershire & East Midlands Cath Esworthy 07547 054666

Hertfordshire Kate Henley 07887 565174

London Kim Chan 07947 361021

Gail Lazarus 07946 231075

Sarah Collison 07940 585133

Pia Huber 07719 987933

Reading Magda Koc 0118 996 8574 Somerset & Dorset Jane Robinson 01935 422488

Angelika Strixner 07791 516733 London & Brighton Sarah Matheson 07808 633643 Manchester/Cheshire/ Lancashire Joshua Enkin 0161 434 0195 Mid & West Norfolk Kate Stewart 07899 953806 North Yorkshire Julie Williams 07512 304444

South West England Sally Blades 07896 369885 Sarah Horswell 07981 141410 Watford Mary Hurley 01923 240793 West Yorkshire Caitlin Allen 07971 927675 Caroline Haigh 07754 198764

Oxford Sue Pennington 01865 776759

Naomi Nash 07725 842979

Oxfordshire & Berkshire Frances Turner 07510 710245

Yorkshire Dales & Cumbria Judith Blair 07553 266452

“ 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

Manchester Academv of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Passionate to be a TCM practitioner?

Fully accredited courses taught by most experienced TCM practitioners in the UK

Address 52-54 Washway Road, Sale, M33 7QZ

Email

We offer: •

info@matcm.co.uk Tel.

• •

Post-graduate diploma of traditional acupuncture for healthcare professionals (two years) Post-graduate diploma of Chinese herbal medicine (for acupuncturists) Variety of acupuncture CPDs such as FSN and abdominal acupuncture

0161-4651150

For more information, please visit our website: www.matcm.co.uk and book your place for the open day!

•

Part-time Acupuncture Course Director The NCA is looking to recruit a part-time Acupuncture Course Director for our BSc in Acupuncture, starting as a trainee Initially 15 hours per week as trainee

£34,259.13 - £37,928.51 From July 2022 as Course Director 22 to 26 hours per week

£36,705.01 - £39,153.14

This is a prestigious post, leading one of the most highly regarded acupuncture courses in the UK As a trainee you will work for 15 hours a week until July 2022, mixing working from home and College and working closely with the current Course Director (in post for eight years), learning about the course and the Course Director role and leading on specific projects.

From July 2022 you will take over as Course Director, working for (provisionally) 22 to 26 hours a week, leading a committed and highly capable teaching team to deliver and develop the course and to support students, as well as

contributing to academic strategy and policy across the College. Teaching on the course is a mixture of classroom and online delivery, and there is an acupuncture teaching clinic at the College.

The salary range for the trainee role is £34,259.13 per annum pro rata to £37,928.51 per annum pro rata. The salary range for the Course Director is £36,705.01 to £39,153.14. Your place in the range is based on previous experience and qualifications.

For further information: please contact College Services at info@nca.ac.uk

nca.ac.uk NCA, 61 Micklegate, York, YO1 6LJ

To apply: please attach a covering letter and a copy of your CV to the application here: nca.hrpartner.io/jobs

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

Courses and events for practitioners

MSc/PGDip in Chinese Herbal Medicine NOW TOTALY ONLINE! Next course starts October 2023 4 All classes (apart from induction weekend at the NCA) and clinics online 4 Running for over 20 years 4 Postgraduate loans available for MSc FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK AN ONLINE INTRODUCTORY EVENT AT www.nca.ac.uk

MSc in Advanced Oriental Medicine (Research and Practice)

Next course starts October 2021 4 Totally online master’s 4 Each module helps enhance your clinical practice 4 Global cohort of like-minded practitioners 4 Postgraduate loans available FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK AN ONLINE INTRODUCTORY EVENT AT www.nca.ac.uk

NCA Online Research Conference Friday 8th April 2022 FIND OUT MORE AND REGISTER FOR THE EVENT AT www.nca.ac.uk

WELCOME TO THE PRACTITIONER HUB Supporting you in your practice with inspiring and informative micro-lectures, CPD, networking and online professional group supervision.

Different membership options available.

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK A PLACE ON OUR JANUARY LAUNCH EVENT AT thepractitionerhub.co.uk

For more information call our enquires desk on + 44 (0) 1904 343309

www.nca.ac.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

The Third Toyohari Training Programme in the UK

TOYOHARI-JAPANESE NEEDLE THERAPY AN EIGHT-WEEKEND, TWENTY-DAY POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME

October 2022 - June 2023 Course Directors : Stephen Birch and Junko Ida

Toyohari is a form of Japanese Meridian Therapy that focuses on training sensitivity to qi in diagnosis and treatment. Blind practitioners of Meridian Therapy formed the Toyohari system and developed systematic treatment approaches, very refined non-inserted needling techniques, various symptomatic treatment methods and highly developed feedback techniques that allow for accelerated learning of these subtle yet powerful methods.

Cost : £2,100 For more information and your application form contact Neil at: T: 07773 331807 E: toyohari2022@gmail.com W: www.toyohari.org.uk Location: College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM), Reading, RG1 7SB

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

is recruiting!

We are looking for two BAcC Members to join our Editorial Team. With plans to move Acu. fully online next year, we are actively seeking new members with a keen interest in making the digital transformation happen.

Being on the Acu. team involves: • four day-long online meetings per year – with remuneration of £200 per day • design/editorial input around Acu. publication time – over a couple of weeks or so • support with marketing each issue Useful key skills and experience might include: • copy writing and/or editing • digital journals/magazines know-how • design and layout • social media and digital communications expertise • journalism • web development • anything else we’ve not thought of If you want to help develop the online version of your member magazine and you have something to offer, please send us a short statement – around 200 words – telling us a bit about yourself and why you want to join the Acu. team Drop us a few lines to editor@acupuncture.org.uk by 7 January 2022 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

Contact details listed below are for BAcC registered mentors/supervisors who charge for their service BERKSHIRE Clare Venters Smith 〉 07889 143899 clare@claresmithacupuncture.com BIRMINGHAM & HEREFORD Lucy Fox 〉 07941 413805 lucy.mannion2@icloud.com BRISTOL Jill Glover 〉 0117 377 1186 acupuncture@almavalecentre.co.uk CAMBRIDGE Frankie Luckock 〉 07717 285248 frankieluckock@me.com CUMBRIA, LANCASHIRE, LAKE DISTRICT, WEST YORKSHIRE & NORTH YORKSHIRE Judith Blair 〉 07753 266452 judyblair.dovetree@gmail.com DEVON, CORNWALL, DORSET WEST Sally Blades 〉 07896 369885 sallyeblades@hotmail.com DEVON, LONDON & BRISTOL Sarah Horswell 〉 07981 141410 sarahhorswell@gmail.com EAST MIDLANDS & NORTH NORFOLK Catherine Esworthy 〉 07547 054666 cath@catherineesworthy.co.uk HEREFORDSHIRE Angelika Strixner 〉 07791 516733 strixner_craniosacral@hotmail.com HERTFORDSHIRE Helen Thomas 〉 07790 363867 helenthomastcm@aol.com HERTFORDSHIRE, LONDON Sarah Barnard 〉 07968 140516 s.h.barnard@btinternet.com ISLE OF WIGHT, HAMPSHIRE, DORSET, WEST SUSSEX Carole Parker 〉 07594 586821 carole.acupuncture@hotmail.co.uk LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST ENGLAND Cathy Chapman 〉 07456 848991 castleviewclinic@hotmail.co.uk LEEDS, WEST YORKSHIRE Caitlin Allen 〉 07957 617279 acupuncture@caitlinallen.co.uk LONDON Jane Broughton 〉 07957 362180 jane@nottinghillacupuncture.com LONDON GREATER Doug Foot 〉 07818 068262 dougfoot@gmail.com LONDON GREATER & SOUTH WEST Pia Huber 〉 07719 987933 info@help2helpyourself.co.uk LONDON NORTH & CITY OF LONDON Shelley Berlinsky 〉 079038 24150 lacupuncture@gmail.com LONDON NORTH & HERTFORDSHIRE Mary Hurley 〉 01923 240793 mary@maryhurley.com

LONDON Naava Carman 〉 0345 310 5354 contact@fertilitysupport.training LONDON & SOUTH WEST Mina Haeri 〉 07957 726072 minahaeri@gmail.com LONDON WEST & CENTRAL Kim Chan 〉 07947 361021 kimsclinic@icloud.com LONDON WEST & CENTRAL, WEST SUSSEX & BRISTOL Sarah Collison 〉 07940 585133 sarahcollisonlondon@gmail.com MIDLANDS, LEAMINGTON SPA Debbie Collins 〉 07960 040985 info@debbiecollins.co.uk MIDLANDS WEST Holly Timmermans 〉 0121 449 9500 hollyjtimmermans@gmail.com NORTHERN IRELAND Susan Evans 〉 07966 885894 sueacupuncture@gmail.com OXFORD Sue Pennington 〉 01865 776759 supipennington@gmail.com SOMERSET SOUTH, DORSET NORTH, DEVON EAST & WILTSHIRE SOUTH Jane Robinson 〉 07968 182455 jane@ninespringsclinic.org SUSSEX EAST Amanda Edwards 〉 07703 561616 amanda@awakentoheal.com SURRY & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND Susan Adams 〉 07799 638577 susan.acu@outlook.com YORKSHIRE & LONDON Joanne Dyson 〉 acumedica@gmail.com Can meet online and/or have telephone sessions

Why seek support?

Mentoring focuses on the acupuncturist as a person and their practice, while supervision focuses on clinical practice and the patient. Sessions give you a safe space to talk confidentially through your worries or any problems you are facing, such as a difficult patient or finding new avenues to promote your clinic.

Attending regular sessions can help to prevent burn-out and the feelings of isolation at work.

So, be it a one-to-one or group session that you invest yourself and your time in, mentoringsupervision can provide you with a support network. It can also make you feel more empowered and sure of yourself and your practice. Additionally, the need for mentoring-supervision seems more prevalent than ever since the pandemic. For all these reasons it remains important for the BAcC to continue providing an avenue of support to members through our official register.

All practitioners listed on the BAcC mentoring-supervision register are BAcC members who have been assessed and approved by our application process. They have all gained over 60 hours of training and are in regular mentoring-supervision sessions themselves.

The pandemic has opened new doors and increased access, so even if you can’t find someone local to you, sessions can take place online or on the phone.

For a more in-depth look at their profiles, please visit the Member website 〉 acupuncture.org.uk/ mentoring-supervision.

Helen Gibb Learning & Events Manager

Upcoming CPD Events & 1 Year Courses CPD Events Trigger points and beyond Nicholas Van Bergen Garner

19th & 20th Jan 2022 Practising musculoskeletal acupuncture techniques from a Western medical perspective and integrating into TCM and five element theory and practice.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

Treating musculoskeletal conditions: Integrating East and West Alex Brazkiewicz

27th Jan (online), 9th & 10th March 2022 These three days focus on channel sinews and integrating orthopedic testing and Traditional East Asian Medicine in the systematic diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

The art of feeling qi Bill Ryan

21st & 22nd April 2022 Learn how to relax and open up into feeling your own and others’ qi.

Eligibility: Anyone with an interest in qi

The art of needling with qi Bill Ryan

23rd & 24th April 2022 This two day course builds on your ability to feel qi and extends that skill into your needling. The art of feeling qi is a pre-quisite for attending this course.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners and 3rd year clinical students

Cancer rehabilitation and renewal: Managing the long-term consequences Beverley de Valois

12th May 2022 Support people with cancer who have completed active treatment for cancer and who are experiencing the consequences of treatment, including those who have complex presentations and multiple comorbidities.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

1 Year Courses Paediatric Diploma

Rebecca Avern with Danny Blyth, Lynn Diskin & Julian Scott

Next course starts March 2022 This in-depth course will enable you to expand your practice to treat the whole family. Designed to equip you to treat and support babies, children and teenagers with a wide range of physical, mental and emotional conditions.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

Gynaecology, Fertility & Obstetrics Diploma

Jill Glover with Kim Chan, Clare Venters Smith & Sharon Yelland

Next course starts September 2022 This online course combines teachings of diagnosis and treatment of women from pre-conception (with a focus on fertility) to pregnancy related conditions to post-birth replenishment. Designed to build on undergraduate training in these areas to fully equip attendees to increase effectiveness and confidence.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

New 1 year course coming soon...

Musculoskeletal Diploma James Unsworth

2022 course start date to be announced soon!

This course is designed to deepen knowledge, understanding and confidence of how to successfully treat MSK conditions with Chinese medicine. The content will be a blend of very hands on methods involving Western medical examinations, Chinese medical channel palpation, tuina and acupuncture.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

To register your interest and to be the first to know when 2022 start dates for new courses are announced email admin@cicm.org.uk To sign up to our mailing list for all CPD and 1 year course updates & find out more information head to acupuncturecollege.org.uk For further queries regarding CPDs email Laura at llong@cicm.org.uk For further queries regarding 1 year courses email Jo at jvinall@cicm.org.uk

The inner library of the five emotions Kim Chan & Sarah Matheson

17th June 2022 Witness how each of the five elements emotionally operate within us.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners and 2nd & 3rd year students

Everything you ever wanted to know about moxa Sia (Snow) Wang

7th & 8th July 2022 This two day course is predominantly practical and will teach you the clinical application of moxa from rice grain to hand-made moxa ball.

Eligibility: Acupuncture practitioners

Early bird rate applies if booked six weeks in advance Day one is a prerequisite for day two/three

To find out more and book online go to acupuncturecollege.org.uk or call 0118 950 8889