Blog - Jessica Kennedy

Is Chinese bloodletting the same as conventional bloodletting?

I get enquiries, from time to time, about whether Chinese medicinal bleeding can be used to remove significant volumes of blood, in a similar way to conventional bloodletting. Whaaaat? I hear you say. Yes, conventional medicine does still include bloodletting. It’s known as therapeutic phlebotomy.

Phlebotomy is when you have a blood sample taken to run some tests on the blood. Therapeutic phlebotomy is when you have a larger quantity of blood taken, simply to get rid of some blood. This can be needed to help with unusual conditions such as polycythemia vera or hemochromatosis. These involve having excessive amounts of iron, or of red blood cells. The blood taken in these procedures is usually not retained, like when you donate blood, but disposed of.

The short answer is no. Chinese medicinal bleeding is not suitable for releasing blood on that scale. And here’s a longer answer …

The quantity of blood

Therapeutic phlebotomy usually extracts 250-500ml of blood. This is comparable to blood donation, which takes 470ml of blood in Australia, or around 8% of your total blood volume.

Chinese medicinal bleeding is done in several ways, but the way that would produce the most blood is by direct bleeding from a superficial vein. We do not take, or extract, the blood. We briefly pierce the vein and let the body release as much as it wants to release.

Often the initial blood is very dark, it can be almost black, showing that the blood is oxidised and has not been circulating in a healthy way. Then it runs a healthier red colour. And then the bleeding stops. The body releases the old stagnant blood that has been stuck in that vein, and then it clots the puncture to stop the bleeding.

I have read that it is possible for the body to release 200ml this way. But in my experience even 50ml is an uncommonly large quantity for the body to release. This is much less than the amounts taken for therapeutic phlebotomy or blood donation.

Releasing large amounts of blood is never the goal. Releasing even a couple of drops of dark stagnant blood result in a very successful procedure.

The diagnosis

Chinese medicinal bleeding is done according to Chinese medical principles. First there must be a Chinese medical diagnosis, based on signs and symptoms, that indicates that bleeding may help. Often this would be ‘Blood Stagnation’.

Without a relevant Chinese medical diagnosis, it would not be ethical to perform bleeding.

Available veins

One possible symptom of Blood Stagnation is superficial veins visible on the surface of the body. These are known as thread or spider veins, and are usually purple, red or blackish, not the blue colour of healthy veins. If you don’t have any of these, it is not possible to do Chinese medicinal bleeding from a vein.

There are other forms of Chinese medicinal bleeding, such as wet cupping, but these tend to produce even less blood than bleeding from a vein.

We never directly bleed varicose veins, which are bulging out from the surface.

Scope of practice & insurance

For all these reasons, we are not registered and insured to provide Chinese medicinal bleeding for purposes which are not related to a relevant Chinese medical diagnosis.

Patient satisfaction

People’s reasons for requesting Chinese medicinal bleeding for the purpose of releasing quite a lot of blood vary. Basically, I have to say, that Chinese medicinal bleeding techniques are unlikely to achieve the desired results.

How much blood will be released is not a matter of negotiation or guarantees. It is not the case that we can promise to release a certain quantity.

If extracting relatively large quantities of blood is your goal, it seems unlikely that you would be satisfied with the results of Chinese medicinal bleeding.

References

Image by allinonemovie from Pixabay

Acupuncture for fatty liver (NAFLD)

Fatty liver disease is unfortunately becoming a widespread problem. It may be ‘silent’, with no obvious signs, or common symptoms can range from fatigue and malaise (feeling ill) to itching to feelings of pressure or discomfort in your liver area (under your right ribcage).

In some cases nonalcoholic liver disease can progress to other forms of liver disease, but the implications are not limited to your liver health. Fatty liver disease also indicates a metabolic imbalance, which unfortunately can promote cardiovascular problems including hardening of your arteries, fatty deposits in your blood vessels, and heart disease.

Conventional medical recommendations include weight loss, cutting out sugar and exercise, to improve insulin resistance, which can be a driver of fatty liver disease. With the right lifestyle changes, your nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may be reversible.

Can acupuncture help?

Scientific research into the benefits of acupuncture for fatty liver disease is one of the areas that has advanced far enough that a systematic review and meta analysis study has been completed. This is a study of the available individual studies, which pools and re-analyses the data from those studies.

A team did this in 2021, and these were their findings:

“8 RCTs with 939 patients were included. This meta-analysis showed that AT [acupuncture treatment] was superior to CM [conventional medicine] in improving overall clinical efficacy … In addition, AT plus CM could significantly improve overall clinical efficacy compared to treatment with CM alone … Moreover, the benefits were also demonstrated in other outcomes, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol indexes. However, AT plus CM could not decrease body mass index levels in comparison with CM. The safety profile of Acupuncture therapy was satisfactory.

And their conclusion:

“Acupuncture may be [an] effective and safe for treatment of NAFLD [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease]. However, due to insufficient methodological quality and sample size, further high-quality studies are needed.”

So we will have to wait and see what further studies will tell us, but the research so far is looking promising for the benefits of acupuncture for fatty liver disease.

Book in for acupuncture

To give acupuncture a try, just get in touch. Jessica will be happy to see you.

References

Chen P, Zhong X, Dai Y, Tan M, Zhang G, Ke X, Huang K, Zhou Z. The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Sep 24;100(38):e27050. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027050. PMID: 34559098; PMCID: PMC8462626.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Acupuncture for post-stroke depression

The short term impacts of having a stroke are well known, but it can be less well recognised that as your experience of a stroke unfolds, depression and anxiety can set in. Around a third of people who experience a stroke will need treatment for depression. Family members too, may go through difficult times emotionally as you all adjust to dealing with the aftermath of a stroke.

Identifying depression

When we’re in a slump, it can be hard to see it clearly. Depression isn’t only feeling very gloomy or sad, it can also affect sleep, drain your joy and interest from everyday activities, and shrink your concentration and self confidence.

Immediate sources of help

If you’re stuck feeling low, the Australian Stroke Foundation has a great page with lots of great suggestions, from trying to be more active and social, to drinking less, to talking things through with a counsellor. They also link through to Strokeline (1800 787 653), Beyond Blue, Lifeline and 13Yarn, to receive support in difficult times.

Acupuncture for post stroke depression

And acupuncture may also be able to help. A 2023 systematic review and network meta-analysis looked at this. This is one of the best forms of research evidence, it is a study of all the available individual studies. They analysed 62 studies, involving 5308 people. Their conclusions were:

“The results of this study indicate that AC [acupuncture] alone or combined with other therapies appears to be effective in improving depression symptoms of stroke survivors. Moreover, in comparison to WM [Western medicine], AC alone or plus RTMS [a treatment with magnets], TCM [Chinese herbal medicine], TCM with WM, or WM, were more effective in improving depression symptoms of [PSD post-stroke depression].”

There are a lot of acronyms there! One of the simpler statements they made was that:

“When compared with UC [usual care], AC [acupuncture] alone or combined with any other therapy (including AC with RTMS, AC with TCM, AC with TCM and WM, AC with Tai Chi, AC with WM, AC with CT, AM, and AM with WM) was superior.”

And that some of these combinations, including acupuncture alone”

“were significantly associated with better neurological function improvement in contrast to UC [usual care] or WM [Western medicine].”

And:

“AC [acupuncture] alone may be more effective in alleviating depression symptoms as compared with WM [Western medicine].”

So, some positive findings there for acupuncture for post-stroke depression.

Book some acupuncture

Everyone’s response to acupuncture is a very individual business, and the only way to find out whether acupuncture may help in your case, is to give it a try.J Just get in touch to get started.

References

Lam Ching, W., Li, H.J., Guo, J. et al. Acupuncture for post-stroke depression: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry 23, 314 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04749-1

Image by Holger Langmaier from Pixabay

Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy

Can acupuncture help with peripheral neuropathy? Neuropathy comes in many forms, with many causes, but for some it can be a very unwelcome side effect of chemotherapy. Your feet or hands can feel numb or tingly, or have burning or stabbing pains. Weakness and dizziness or impaired balance can follow.

When the neuropathy is a result of chemotherapy treatment, it can be brief, or for some it can become a lasting problem:

“In some cases, peripheral neuropathy can develop or get worse over time, even after treatment has finished. After the end of cancer treatment, peripheral neuropathy symptoms may begin to improve over 6–12 months. In some people, symptoms are permanent and may be severe.”

Australian Cancer Council

What does the science say?

To assess how the evidence base is looking so far, in 2024 a team of researchers looked at the studies that have been done on peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapy. They analysed the results for more than 2,000 patients, across 21 separate studies, and concluded that:

“Acupuncture can improve the neuropathic pain intensity, the intensity of the CIPN [chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy], MCV [motor conduction velocities] of the median nerve, SCV [sensory conduction velocities] of the tibial nerve and peroneal nerve, quality of life, and has good safety in CIPN patients. LI4 (Hegu), ST36 (Zusanli), LI11 (Quchi), LR3 (Taichong), and SP6 (Sanyinjiao) are the core acupuncture points for treating CIPN, and this protocol has the potential to become a supplementary treatment for CIPN.”

2024 systematic review and meta analysis

Like a lot of research papers, it’s not written in the most accessible of English! But, their finding was that acupuncture was helpful in reducing pain and improving quality of life, at the same time as being safe for people with this problem.

I can only echo the researchers’ hopes that lots of people get access to acupuncture to help them in this situation. One of the joys of being an acupuncturist is meeting a really diverse range of people. Some come to me as their first resort, and occasionally I find myself trying to persuade someone to visit their doctor to at least get some possibilities ruled out. But others often come as their last resort, after trying many different avenues in search of help, and suffering for quite an extended period.

It’s great to see the growing range of conditions which are gaining an evidence base to show that acupuncture can help. I was very pleased to see this study come out for peripheral neuropathy after chemotherapy, which is such a difficult experience on top of everything else that you will already be going through if you are going through chemotherapy.

Book in for acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy

If you would like to give acupuncture a try for your peripheral neuropathy, I will be happy to see you. Just get in touch.

References

https://www.cancer.org.au/assets/pdf/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy

Limeng, L., Huang, Y., Chengfei, A., Ning, J., Xu, C., Xiaoyu, W., Li, H., & Tan, T. (2024). Acupuncture in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A meta-analysis and data mining. Frontiers in Neurology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2024.1442841

Image by tookapic from Pixabay

Acupuncture in pregnancy

Lots of pregnant ladies contact me to ask about acupuncture to promote labour, and to check whether I offer acupuncture during pregnancy, which I’m happy to say I do. Often people mention that another health professional has suggested it to them, and it is great to see a growing awareness of acupuncture in pregnancy.

How is the research going?

As in many areas of health and medicine, the evidence base does not yet give us confirmation that every kind of acupuncture that can be used in pregnancy is effective. There are all kinds of interesting individual studies out there, but while the full research picture is evolving we can’t share those with you.

It’s only when a study of the studies is conducted (called a systematic review or meta-analysis) that firmer conclusions can be drawn and we can talk about those results. I just had a quick look for this level of research evidence for acupuncture during pregnancy, for routine birth preparation, and to support you after childbirth, but didn’t find much available yet. So, we would need to say that those treatments are not currently supported by the evidence base, and their effectiveness is unproven.

Acupuncture to promote labour

However one area where there has been a study of studies, and we can talk about the conclusions, is for acupuncture to promote labour. A 2017 Cochrane review looked at this, and Cochrane studies are considered fairly robust studies.

I’m a bit puzzled because the main measure they looked at was whether acupuncture to promote labour reduced the caesarian section rate, and I would be interested in measures like whether it reduces the need for medical inductions or improves mothers’ experience of labour. But, it looks like so far we would have to say that those kind of benefits remain unsupported by the research that’s been done.

The authors’ conclusions were:

Acupuncture does not appear to reduce the need for caesarean section but may improve the cervical readiness for labour … The main limitations were limited reporting of health outcomes. Acupuncture and acupressure appear safe and the review suggests some potential benefit, however the specific timing and how many treatments remain unclear.

So, it will be great when further research is done and there will be more we can say with confidence.

Acupuncture in pregnancy

So if you would like to book in for acupuncture in pregnancy, you’ll be very welcome! Just get in touch to get started.

References

Smith CA, Armour M, Dahlen HG. Acupuncture or acupressure for induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Oct 17;10(10):CD002962. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002962.pub4. PMID: 29036756; PMCID: PMC6953318.

Image by Marjon Besteman from Pixabay

Acupuncture for cardiac arrhythmias

Heart disease is not new, although the Covid pandemic seems to have brought cardiac symptoms more to the fore among my patients, including sometimes in younger people.

In rare cases covid vaccinations have caused myocarditis and pericarditis, inflammation of heart tissue and the membrane surrounding the heart, mostly in men under 40. And more generally, Covid itself increases your risks of cardiac problems as diverse as “faster heart rate, atrial fibrillation, blood clots, heart damage due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients, inflammation of the heart muscle and lining, or Takotsubo syndrome (broken heart syndrome)”, according to the British Heart Foundation.

There’s so much research being done into the benefits of acupuncture that it’s hard to keep up with it all, so when I got a query this week about acupuncture for a tachycardia I popped over to Google to see where the research is up to for that, and I was surprised how much I found.

Get your heart checked out

The first thing to say about all this is that if you are concerned that you have cardiac symptoms and you have not yet discussed this with a doctor, please take this area of your health seriously.

Check out this list of red flags for heart disease, and make sure you get any significant symptoms diagnosed and addressed by your doctor promptly.

Research on acupuncture for cardiac arrhythmias

The kind of research that we can talk about with more confidence is when it reaches the level of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This means not just individual studies, but collective studies of those studies. For some cardiac arrythmias and forms of tachycardia, there have been some encouraging results so far:

“In summary, our meta-analysis demonstrates that clinical efficacy of acupuncture is not less than AAD [Antiarrhythmic Drugs] for PSVT [paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia]. Furthermore, in sub-group analysis, acupuncture with or without AAD, shows a clear benefit in treating VPB [ventricular premature beat] and ST [sinus tachycardia]. However, more definitive RCTs [randomised controlled trials] are warranted to guide clinical practice.”
A 2017 systematic review of acupuncture for cardiac arrhythmias

“In conclusion … we believe that acupuncture can treat for AF [Atrial Fibrillation], through improving conversion rate, slowing the heart rate, by reducing adverse drug reactions and the time of AF cardioversion to sinus rhythm. It is therefore worthy of clinical application.”
A 2019 systematic evaluation of acupuncture for atrial fibrillation

“In summary, our meta-analysis demonstrated that combining acupuncture with oral Chinese medicine shows a clear benefit in treating arrhythmias and has no increased risk of adverse events. However, RCTs with large-sample sizes and rigorous designs should still be conducted, in addition to the adoption of long-term follow-up results, to help reduce bias.”
A 2023 systematic review comparing traditional Chinese herbal treatment with and without adding acupuncture

Your heart in Chinese medicine

One of the poetic descriptions used in Chinese medicine for the relationships between your body’s organs is of a hierarchy of officials, based on the emperor’s court in ancient China. Your liver is the general, your kidneys administrate your waterways, and so on, but all are in service of your heart, which is the emperor among your organs.

And, as in western tradition, the heart is also the seat of love and human connection, and it houses our Shen, or spirit. If you were wondering about the ‘broken heart syndrome‘ that the British Heart Foundation mentioned, I went to a fascinating talk about this recently, from a researcher studying it, and it’s an amazing example of the connection between the mind and the body. Extreme emotional stress can be enough to cause sudden physical damage to your heart. This mind-body connection (and many others) comes as no surprise to acupuncturists, who have long considered these inter-relationships as core to your health.

Traditional Chinese medical diagnoses for cardiac symptoms have names like Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Blood Stagnant, often showing quite a sophisticated understanding of the workings of our cardiovascular system, and also acknowledging the anxiety that can accompany physical cardiac symptoms.

Acupuncture for cardiac arrhythmias

If you would like to give acupuncture a try for your cardiac arrythmias, just get in touch.

References

https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/covid-19-vaccines/advice-for-providers/clinical-guidance/myocarditis-pericarditis

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/what-does-coronavirus-do-to-your-body

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/selfcare-instructions/warning-signs-and-symptoms-of-heart-disease

Li Y, Barajas-Martinez H, Li B, Gao Y, Zhang Z, Shang H, Xing Y and Hu D (2017) Comparative Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Antiarrhythmic Drugs for the Prevention of Cardiac Arrhythmias: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front. Physiol. 8:358. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00358

Fei Y, Fei R, Zhang J, Sun Y, Yu Q. Systematic Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture Treatment for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Jan 26;7(3):461-466. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2019.036. PMID: 30834020; PMCID: PMC6390133.

Ning, Sisi MSa; Yan, Lei MSa; Li, Yan MDa; Cui, Zhaoqiang MDb,c; Wang, Yun MSa; Shi, Jiawei MSa; Zhao, Yuhong MSa,*. Efficacy of acupuncture combined with oral Chinese medicine in the treatment of arrhythmia: A meta-analysis. Medicine 102(12):p e33174, March 24, 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033174

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiomyopathy/takotsubo-cardiomyopathy

Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay

Traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding (blood-letting) for high blood pressure

Blood-letting might not sound like a modern treatment for high blood pressure, but this element of traditional Chinese medicine is starting to receive some feedback from up to date scientific research.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

High blood pressure is not ideal. Even if you’re not feeling any symptoms like headaches or blurred vision, it can be quietly doing damage in the background to your kidneys, heart and your risk of a stroke.

What does the research say?

Enough studies have been done on this question that researchers have been able to do systematic reviews and meta analyses, meaning studies of all the available studies, where they can pool the patient data and re-examine it.

“Although some positive findings were identified, no definite conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of Blood Letting Therapy as complementary and alternative approach for treatment of hypertension [high blood pressure] could be drew due to the generally poor methodological design, significant heterogeneity, and insufficient clinical data. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm the results.”A 2019 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for high blood pressure

“Bloodleting on ear apex as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy might have benefits in treating primary hypertension [high blood pressure]… However, since the number of studies included and the sample sizes were small, and the methodological quality was poor, these findings should be interpreted with great caution. Further well-designed studies need to be conducted to confirm these results.”A 2018 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for high blood pressure

Basically, so far they seem to be concluding that although there have been some good signs in some studies, the evidence base is not yet clear, and further research, including more rigorous studies, will be needed to reach clear conclusions.

Traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding

People often have a few questions about what is involved in receiving traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding. This is a much milder treatment to receive than you may imagine! The best approach will be tailored to your individual diagnosis, circumstances and preferences, but often it can involve allowing just a few drops of blood to bleed from the top of your ear. In my clinic I use automated ‘click’ lancets for this, like the ones people with diabetes use to prick their fingers and test their blood. Generally people don’t find it painful at all, just a feeling of pressure.

Additionally, if you have superficial dark veins visible on your skin, for example on your legs, it may also be beneficial to bleed those a little. In traditional Chinese medical terms, this can release what is known as ‘stagnant’ blood, blood which has not been circulating properly and may be getting oxidised. (We never bleed raised/swollen varicose veins directly.) In any scenario though, we let your body decide how much blood it wants to release, and the quantities are always a fraction of, for example, making a blood donation.

Give it a try

If you’d like to see whether traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding may help your high blood pressure, just get in touch.

References

Chan-Young Kwon, Boram Lee, Ju Ah Lee, Efficacy and safety of bloodletting on ear apex for primary hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis,
European Journal of Integrative Medicine, Volume 23, 2018, Pages 90-100, ISSN 1876-3820, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2018.09.011.

Xiong, Xj., Wang, Pq. & Li, Sj. Blood-Letting Therapy for Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 25, 139–146 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-018-3009-2

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and blood-letting for gouty arthritis

As anyone who’s ever suffered it knows, gout is a horrible business. It’s a metabolic condition which can lead to a build up of uric acid in your system, forming crystals in your joints, and flaring up with nasty pain, swelling and redness in your joints.

As the scientific research into traditional Chinese medicine is becoming more advanced, it has been interesting to see studies done on not just standard acupuncture, but also electroacupuncture and traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding (blood-letting).

Acupuncture for gout

In 2018 a systematic review (a study of all the available studies) concluded that:

Ten RCTs [Randomised Controlled Trials] involving 852 gouty arthritis patients were systematically reviewed. Among them six studies of 512 patients reported a significant decrease in uric acid in the treatment group compared with a control group, while two studies of 120 patients reported no significant decrease in uric acid in the treatment group compared with the control group. The remaining four studies of 380 patients reported a significant decrease in visual analogue scale score in the treatment group … The results of the studies included here suggest that acupuncture is efficacious as complementary therapy for gouty arthritis patients.”

Electroacupuncture for gout

Electroacupuncture is a technique which uses a small machine with wires and clips, to apply a small electric current across some of the acupuncture needles. Generally this gives an odd, tapping, kind of feeling, rather than being painful. In 2024, a research team did a systematic review and meta analysis (where the data from multiple studies is pooled and re-examined) and found that:

“This systematic review examined 15 randomized controlled trials that investigated the use of electroacupuncture as a treatment for AGA [Acute Gouty Arthritis] … The current meta-analysis suggests that electroacupuncture and conventional treatments have comparable efficacy and safety in targeting painful symptoms in patients with AGA … Our study showed that when electroacupuncture and medication were used together, there was a more significant decrease in serum uric acid than alone.”

Traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding (blood-letting) for gout

A 2022 systematic review and meta analysis is not presented in the most accessible language, but it concluded that:

“BLT [Blood-Letting Therapy] is effective in alleviating pain and decreasing CRP level [serum C-reactive protein] in AGA [Acute Gouty Arthritis] patients with a lower risk of evoking adverse reactions.”

CRP is a blood test that is indicative of your body’s level of inflammation.

More research ongoing

All three studies (like other studies into many different kinds of medical intervention) also noted limitations in the evidence base to date, and encouraged further research into these topics.

I was surprised to find all three of these systematic reviews on this topic, it’s fabulous to see the evidence base moving forwards! I look forward to hearing what comes next.

Try Chinese Medicine for your gout symptoms

I offer all three of these treatments, in a fully tailored approach driven by your individual needs and preferences. To see if they may be able to help in your case, just get in touch.

References

Lee WB, Woo SH, Min BI, Cho SH. Acupuncture for gouty arthritis: a concise report of a systematic and meta-analysis approach. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2013 Jul;52(7):1225-32. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ket013. Epub 2013 Feb 18. PMID: 23424263.

Ni Z, Xiao Q, Xia Z, Kuang K, Yin B, Peng D. Electroacupuncture for acute gouty arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 4;14:1295154. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1295154. PMID: 38239361; PMCID: PMC10794621.

Li SH, Hu WS, Wu QF, Sun JG. The efficacy of bloodletting therapy in patients with acute gouty arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2022 Feb;46:101503. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101503. Epub 2021 Nov 11. PMID: 34814062.

Image by cnick from Pixabay

Medicinal bleeding for psoriasis

Bloodletting might not be the first thing you’d think of as a modern treatment for psoriasis, but research suggests that it may be able to help.

Psoriasis often involves chronic pain, and is not a nice condition to have. Genetics play a big role, and it’s now recognised as an immune disorder. Triggers for a new flareup can be as minor as small cuts or scrapes, infections or cold weather. New biological therapies have proved to be a powerful help for many people suffering with psoriasis, but sadly not everyone’s psoriasis has responded well.

Medicinal bleeding

Bloodletting, or medicinal bleeding is part of traditional Chinese medicine, like acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion. Less research has been done for this therapy than for some of those other techniques, so it’s not that often that i come across relevant research that reaches the level that I can share it with you. So I was interested to come across a study looking at the effectiveness of medicinal bleeding for psoriasis.

Wet cupping

Traditional Chinese medicinal bleeding can be performed in various ways, but this study looked at wet cupping. This is where we make small incisions in the skin and then use a cup to create a vaccum and draw out a small amount of blood. When I do wet cupping, I use automatic lancets like people with diabetes use, which generally gives a sensation more of pressure than of any pain. I use fully disposable cups for this, for hygeine and infection control.

In traditional Chinese medical theory, this helps to release some toxicity along with the blood, and makes space for fresh blood to move into the tissues, promoting your body’s flow of Qi and blood. This explanation does not have scientific evidence to support it so far, but what research has been able to look at is the results of treatment. Does bloodletting help psoriasis?

Research results

In 2023 a team did a systematic review and metanalysis of the studies of medicinal bleeding for psoriasis, which means they took a close look at all of the available studies on this topic. They whittled them down to 10 studies with 833 patients. They looked at Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), adverse effects, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and found:

“Bloodletting cupping combined with conventional treatment can achieve the ideal treatment for psoriasis. However, the combined treatment in psoriasis needs to be further evaluated in high-quality RCTs with large sample sizes to enable future studies in clinical use.”

“We found no significant difference in adverse reactions.”
2023 systematic review and metanalysis of the studies of medicinal bleeding for psoriasis

As is common in medical research, they also noted limitations in the research performed so far, and encouraged further studies with large samples to improve the confidence of this result.

Get in touch

So if you continue to suffer with psoriasis, and would like to try medicinal bleeding to see if it may help, just get in touch.

Reference

Ma, X., Li, D., Zhao, M., He, J., Yang, F., & Kong, J. (2023). Bloodletting cupping combined with conventional measures therapy for psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Medicine, 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1132928

Image from the British Acupuncture Council.

Acupuncture for vocal cord problems

I really feel for people who have a problem that is very visible to others – a problem affecting the face, or ability to walk, or something else that can feel like it’s on display to other full time. Problems with the vocal cords are another one of these – every time you try and speak to someone, a raspy, low or breathy sound may have a bigger impact on your listener’s attention than the thing you’d actually like to say. I can imagine that not being able to express yourself clearly and reliably must be very frustrating. And if your problems also involve difficulties with swallowing, or coughing, then a whole range of normal everyday activities can become an unwelcome challenge.

What are vocal cord problems and where do they come from?

Vocal cord problems can cause difficulty speaking, hoarseness, coughing and problems with swallowing. Medical diagnoses can include laryngitis, vocal nodules, vocal polyps, and vocal cord paralysis.

Our vocal cords are delicate structures within our necks, so a whole range of causes can cause vocal cord problems, including vigorous exercise, airborne toxins, reflux problems and inflammation in the throat and sinuses. Trauma, whether physical such as near-drowning, choking, or surgical injuries, or emotional, can also leave a big impact on our voices. Women, and teachers, are more likely to suffer vocal cord problems.

Can acupuncture help vocal cord problems?

So, can acupuncture help? Well, as ever, it’s not professional for me to share anectodal stories from my own experience. But, happily, some research has been done in this area.

The evidence base

In 2017 a systematic review was published – systematic reviews are near the top of the evidence pyramid, they are studies of all of the published studies on a topic. The scientists in this case were looking at a range of interventions, including massage and physiotherapy, and for acupuncture they were only able to find one study that had been done so far. Nonetheless, their conclusion was:

“The literature regarding the effectiveness of physiotherapy and complementary therapies was good in both quality and results, indicating that massage, TENS, and acupuncture seem to be effective treatments to reduce voice complaints and improve voice quality, supporting the inclusion of complementary therapies but mostly physiotherapy interventions in the treatment of patients with voice disorders.”
a 2017 systematic review on allied health treatments for vocal cord problems

Specifically about acupuncture, they said:

“Yiu et al. conducted a high-quality study … In this RCT [randomised controlled trial], 84 participants with dysphonia were divided in three groups: genuine acupuncture group that received needles in nine voice-related acupoints … A significant improvement in vocal function … was verified in both the genuine and sham acupuncture groups, but not in the no-treatment group. About perceived quality of life, genuine acupuncture groups showed significant results comparing to sham acupuncture group (p = 0.003) and no-treatment group (p = 0.01). No significant difference was found between the no-treatment and sham acupuncture group (p = 0.83). Only the genuine acupuncture group demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the vocal fold lesions.”

So, one study is only a start for our evidence base, but certainly it’s encouraging. They summed up their findings by saying:

“The literature regarding the effectiveness of physiotherapy and complementary therapies was good in both quality and results. The evidence from the studies included in the review suggest that manual therapy through laryngeal massage and massage of the neck or shoulder girdle is an effective treatment to reduce dysphonia complaints and muscle tension and to improve voice quality. It is important to emphasize that the TENS and acupuncture also presented good results. The knowledge of the relationship between body posture, laryngeal muscles, voice production, and dysphonia is of paramount importance because a transdisciplinary action can optimize evaluation and treatment in order to provide clinically significant benefits to patients with voice problems.”

So, if you’ve been suffering with vocal cord problems, this feels like a really positive message, that there are a number of things that may be able to help you. You don’t necessarily need to feel stuck at your current level of vocal problems. And acupuncture may be one of the things that could be able to help.

Get in touch

If you’d like to give acupuncture a try for your vocal cord problems, just get in touch to get started.

Reference

Cardoso R, Meneses RF, Lumini-Oliveira J. The Effectiveness of Physiotherapy and Complementary Therapies on Voice Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Med (Lausanne). 2017 Apr 24;4:45. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2017.00045. PMID: 28484700; PMCID: PMC5401878. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5401878/

Image by Florian Pircher from Pixabay

Bloodletting & leeches? Old fashioned treatments are more in fashion than you might think…

Traditional Chinese bloodletting seems to be having a bit of a rennaissance. Say what now? I hear you asking… yup, it definitely sounds a bit odd! When I first studied acupuncture, it was mentioned in our textbooks and our classes, but we didn’t get any practical teaching.

Traditional Chinese bloodletting

Since 2014 though, two master practitioners of this art in the US, Dean Mouscher and Henry McCann, have both published books specifically on this subject – Chinese Medicine Bloodletting and Pricking the Vessels. And the Sidney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine has recently published this 18 minute video discussing the various techniques.

I started to hear lots of stories from other acupuncturists about their experience of bloodletting and wet cupping, and I got very fascinated. I read both the new books, took live online courses with both teachers, and did an online course as well with Susan Johnson, another American practitioner, with decades of experience. I got so interested that I even got a qualification in phlebotomy – the western practice of venepuncture, that happens when you go and get a blood test taken.

It feels like this Chinese tradition has been a bit dormant in the west, but is springing back to life.

What does science say?

For sure we have to be very careful before we make any claims of medical benefit for this treatment. This is not an area where tons of medical research has been done, or an evidence base has been established to show whether this is a medically effective procedure.

At the top of the pyramid of research studies is a meta analysis. This type of study is a review of the individual research studies on a topic, which re-analyses the combined results from those studies. I had a quick look and found six in this area, all published in the last five years:

“Blood Letting Therapy is effective in alleviating pain and decreasing serum C-reactive protein level level in acute gouty arthritis patients with a lower risk of evoking adverse reactions.”
A 2022 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for gouty arthritis

“BL at EX-HN6 [the ear apex] as an adjunctive therapy to eye drops may benefit stye. However, high-quality RCTs [randomised controlled trials] addressing on this issue is still needed to warrant the findings of this study.”
A 2020 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for styes (eyelid infections)

“Bloodletting therapy might be an effective and safe treatment for chronic urticaria [hives], but the evidence is scarce. More high quality trials are needed in the future.”
A 2019 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for chronic urticaria (hives)

“Although some positive findings were identified, no definite conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of Blood Letting Therapy as complementary and alternative approach for treatment of hypertension [high blood pressure] could be drew due to the generally poor methodological design, significant heterogeneity, and insufficient clinical data. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm the results.”
A 2019 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for high blood pressure

“Bloodleting on ear apex as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy might have benefits in treating primary hypertension [high blood pressure]… However, since the number of studies included and the sample sizes were small, and the methodological quality was poor, these findings should be interpreted with great caution. Further well-designed studies need to be conducted to confirm these results.”
A 2018 systematic review and meta analysis of bloodletting for high blood pressure

“A few small studies suggested that wet cupping alone versus antihypertensive medication significantly reduced blood pressure… However based on current evidence, no firm conclusions can be drawn and no clinical recommendations made. Research projects included need validation. Studies indicate that wet cupping is a safe therapy.”
A 2019 systematic review and meta analysis of wet cupping for high blood pressure

So, from this we can see that the scientific evidence base for traditional Chinese bloodletting is thin on the ground. It addresses only a few conditions, and it mostly concludes that more research is needed before we can draw any clear conclusions.

And hospitals are using leeches

Some of my patients look a bit puzzled when I mention traditional Chinese bloodletting, or wet cupping. It just sounds so weird! Right?

But one nurse I treat, she just nodded away, totally unphased, and said, yes, when she had worked at Royal Perth Hospital, she had been in charge of applying the leeches. Yes, leeches are in use again by plastic surgeons across the world, including right here in Perth! They’re a method of clearing oxidised old blood and re-establishing circulation when small items such as fingers are surgically reattached. Here’s a 2021 news story about leeches ‘saving a schoolgirl’s finger’ at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

So yup, the old stuff, the weird stuff, it’s still going on…

Chinese bloodletting in Perth

So, I’ve got no plans to introduce leeches to my practice! But, I do offer traditional Chinese bloodletting and wet cupping to my patients, where it’s a good fit for them.

You’re very welcome to get in touch if you’d like to know more.

References

Qiao HW, Liu NW, Wang J, Huang S, Yu L, Chen Z. Bloodletting at EX-HN6 as an adjunctive therapy to eye drops for stye: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Aug 7;99(32):e21555. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000021555. PMID: 32769896; PMCID: PMC7593029. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7593029/

Qin Yao, Xinyue Zhang, Yunnong Mu, Yajie Liu, Yu An, Baixiao Zhao, “Bloodletting Therapy for Patients with Chronic Urticaria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, BioMed Research International, vol. 2019, Article ID 8650398, 9 pages, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8650398

Shuting Lu, Shizheng Du, Anne Fish, Cong Tang, Qingqing Lou & Xuefang Zhang (2019) Wet cupping for hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 41:5, 474-480, DOI: 10.1080/10641963.2018.1510939

Si-Hui Li, Wei-Shang Hu, Qiao-Feng Wu, Jun-Gang Sun,
The efficacy of bloodletting therapy in patients with acute gouty arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Volume 46, 2022, 101503, ISSN 1744-3881, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101503

https://www.9news.com.au/national/twenty-leeches-used-to-help-save-perth-schoolgirls-finger/7a596e66-eb52-4045-8d3f-99d3277b5804

Acupuncture for perimenopausal depression

Being a middle aged woman myself, and experiencing the challenges of the perimenopause, I have plenty of sympathy for everyone going through this phase of our lives!

And I love that there’s a much more open discussion going on about how this powerful transition can affect us. Often the focus is on physical symptoms that we may experience, whether it’s hot flushes or an increased risk of urinary tract infections.

But, I have a particular interest in working with mental health and emotional wellbeing, and the impact on mood for some women at this time should not be underestimated too. Unfortunately, studies have shown that women in perimenopause are at higher risk of depression than premenopausal women.

So, how about acupuncture for perimenopausal depression? Can it help?

Research on acupuncture for perimenopausal depression

Well, I was really pleased to see that 2021 also saw the publication of a systematic review and metanalysis (a study of all the studies) into acupuncture for perimenopausal depression.

The study looked at the results of 25 randomised controlled trials, including 2,200 women.

“Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression in their lifetime as men … Menopausal transition, also called perimenopause, refers to a critical stage of dynamic hormonal flux that occurs at midlife in women … Perimenopause is defined as a “window” of vulnerability for the development of depression.”

“In comparison with standard care, acupuncture alone or combined with standard care was associated with significant improvements in PMD [perimenopausal depression] and reductions of other menopausal symptoms. This finding suggests that acupuncture may be a useful addition to treatment for PMD.”
Extracts from a 2021 systematic review and metanalysis of acupuncture for perimenopausal depression

I’ve written before about how the evidence base for acupuncture is unfortunately not being well integrated into health systems. Hopefully, over time, more and more women who are going through this part of their life and finding it difficult will get access to everything that can help them, including acupuncture.

Ready to try some acupuncture?

Just book online or get in touch. Jessica will be happy to help you.

References

Zhao F-Y, Fu Q-Q, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Zhang W-J and Zheng Z (2021) Acupuncture as an Independent or Adjuvant Management to Standard Care for Perimenopausal Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front. Psychiatry 12:666988. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.666988

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Acupuncture for pain-related depression

If you’re feeling low, or stuck in a bit of a hole, you’re definitely not alone. Unfortunately depression is very common – more than 16% of us can expect to experience it at some point in our lives, making it the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. And if you’re experiencing chronic pain, unfortunately your risk of depression may be as high as 50%.

Acupuncture for pain-related depression

Chronic pain is a horrible situation to be in, and it can really get you down. We probably all know someone with chronic back pain, who is also suffering with their mood.

I was happy to see though, that a 2021 study concluded, after analysing the results of eight randomised controlled trials, that acupuncture can be helpful for people who are suffering in this way:

“Depression and pain are the most common psychological and physical symptoms in primary care, respectively … Pain has a negative impact on the prognosis and treatment of depression and vice versa. There is a significant correlation between the severity of pain and the degree of depression.”

“… compared with drug treatment, single acupuncture treatment has the same effect in reducing pain and relieving symptoms of depression in patients with CPRD [chronic pain-related depression] … In addition, acupuncture combined with drug therapy has a better effect than a single drug.”
Extracts from a 2021 systematic review and metanalysis of acupuncture for acupuncture for chronic pain-related depression

The researchers also looked at whether any conclusions could be drawn about the safety of acupuncture in this context, and said:

“… single acupuncture treatment has a lower incidence of adverse events compared to oral drugs. Therefore, we can cautiously recommend that acupuncture is a safe treatment for CPRD [chronic pain-related depression].”

Although it’s worth noting, as is so common with acupuncture research, that the study also concluded that more research is needed:

“… due to the insufficient number of included studies, low methodological quality, and heterogeneity of results, further studies using large- and high-quality samples are needed to confirm the role of acupuncture for CPRD.”

Acupuncture for your pain-related depression

So if you’re suffering with pain-related depression and would like to try acupuncture, get in touch to get started.

References

Jianyu You, Haiyan Li, Dingyi Xie, Rixin Chen, Mingren Chen, “Acupuncture for Chronic Pain-Related Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, Pain Research and Management, vol. 2021, Article ID 6617075, 10 pages, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6617075

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Acupuncture evidence is underused by other health professionals

Unfortunately, it’s quite frequent that people tell me that another health professional has told them that acupuncture will not be able to help with their problem, when those statements are not supported by the current evidence base.

Of course it would be unfair to expect the average GP to have a deep expertise in acupuncture in the way that an acupuncturist does. And it’s a challenge to keep up to date with all the great research that is being done. Although it’s worth noting that all health professionals do have an ethical obligation to keep themselves up to date on the evidence base for therapies that may help their patients.

So in this context, this article in the British Medical Journal in February 2022 was a breath of fresh air: Evidence on acupuncture therapies is underused in clinical practice and health policy.

What did the research team find?

The article examined the systematic reviews that have been published for acupuncture – a systematic review is a study of the studies. So whereas one particular trial might reach a certain finding and another study a different conclusion, a systematic review seeks to identify all the relevant trials for a particular topic, and look at what conclusions can be reached overall. So what did they find when they did a study of the studies of the studies for acupuncture?

“Despite minor limitations, systematic reviews of acupuncture therapies are generally methodologically rigorous.”

“A recent overview of acupuncture systematic reviews found … acupuncture showed a moderate or large effect with moderate or high certainty evidence in eight diseases or conditions … However, instead of endorsement in health policies and wide use in clinical practice, only a few healthcare systems incorporated acupuncture into clinical practice guidelines.”

“For example, acupuncture is underused in practice for treatment of post-stroke aphasia … by 2015 compelling evidence had accumulated that acupuncture provided important improvement, relative to the best existing therapy … To date, however, only one Chinese clinical practice guideline has recommended acupuncture therapies for treatment of post-stroke aphasia. In the US alone, 10 million patients with post-stroke aphasia could have benefited from acupuncture treatment.”

“Identified research opportunities are underfunded … Promising acupuncture therapies (large effect supported by low certainty evidence) represent potentially fruitful future clinical research targets, and thus require further investigation and research funding support. The overview of systematic reviews found that in 33 outcomes for 22 conditions, acupuncture showed a promising effect. Existing funding and research endeavours in these areas have, however, increased little in the past decade.”

“Take three diseases or conditions in which acupuncture showed promising effects as an example. Depressive disorders, migraine, and opioid use disorders are prevalent and associated with a high disease burden globally … Even though acupuncture therapies have shown large effects supported by low certainty evidence for all three of these prevalent and high burden diseases, they received limited funding for further investigation.”

The authors’ recommendations included using the acupuncture evidence base properly in health system decision making, and a better organised approach to funding acupuncture research.

What’s standing in the way?

A wide range of factors undoubtedly lie behind this, but sticking to just the topic of clinical research, one point to note is that acupuncture research doesn’t have the financial might of big pharma behind it. The profit motive that drives a proportion of medical research is not there for acupuncture treatment. But apart from funding, there are quite a few other interesting issues to consider in creating good quality acupuncture research.

Often a trial will seek to assess acupuncture using ideas that were developed to test drugs, for example using comparisons to an inert placebo. Concepts like ‘sham acupuncture’ are sometimes used, when from a Chinese medical perspective even touching a point (acupressure) is an active therapy. Acupuncture is more akin to a minor procedure than to popping a pill, and not all studies do well in recognising that.

Meanwhile the master practitioners of our medicine, and the practitioners who are well integrated into research institutions and can gain access to research funding, may not always be well aligned. The ‘acupuncture’ used in some studies can feel like a bit of a puzzle.

For example, I was surprised to see a study on acupuncture for pubic symphysis pain (a condition of late pregnancy), which used a number of acupuncture points that are considered unsafe in pregnancy. (Say what now?) Debra Betts, an acupuncturist in New Zealand and probably the foremost expert in obstetric acupuncture globally, wrote an interesting analysis:

“Although no serious complications were reported during treatment it is of concern that the acupuncture points Hegu LI-4, Kunlun BL-60 and Ciliao Bl-32 are listed with no mention of their function in traditional Chinese medicine to induce labour … The study states that these distal points were chosen due to their well known pain relieving effect … This is an interesting study as while it confirms the benefit of offering acupuncture for pelvic pain in pregnancy it also raises questions about the way point prescription acupuncture can be used by physiotherapists and medical acupuncturists.”
Debra Betts, author of The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Meanwhile, there are lots of other issues around achieving good quality acupuncture research – meaning both good science, and good Chinese Medicine. The same edition of the British Medical Journal also had a very interesting article about how to improve the quality of acupuncture research.

So, when the benefit of acupuncture has managed to shine through all of these kinds of hurdles, it’s all the more disappointing that the resulting evidence is not always being listened to by medical decision makers.

Conclusions

In summary, it is a great pleasure for me to see the evidence base for acupuncture becoming more complete over time. I am in admiration of all the practitioners and researchers who are dedicating time and energy to building the scientific recognition of our venerable healing art.

Unfortunately it is not an infrequent experience to see acupuncture receiving ill-informed negativity. Sadly this sometimes comes from other medical professionals, despite their relevant ethical obligations.

And so I very much concur with the authors’ recommendations that the evidence base for acupuncture should be used properly in mainstream clinical practice and health policy. As wide a group of people as possible should be able to benefit from the evidence-based benefits of acupuncture.

References

Betts, Debra, Acupuncture Research, https://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/acupuncture/research/pelvic-pain/

Elden H, Ladfors l, Fagevik Olsen M, Ostaard H, Hagberg H. Effects of acupuncture and stabilising exercisers as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain: randomised singleblind controlled trail.BMJ 2005;330:761

Lu L, Zhang Y, Tang X, Ge S, Wen H, Zeng J et al. Evidence on acupuncture therapies is underused in clinical practice and health policy BMJ 2022; 376 :e067475 doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-067475

Zhang Y, Jing X, Guyatt G. Improving acupuncture research: progress, guidance, and future directions BMJ 2022; 376 :o487 doi:10.1136/bmj.o487

Acupuncture for shingles: what does the evidence say?

Shingles is a horrible business! So I was really pleased to see that some evidence is starting to build up around acupuncture for shingles.

Shingles

Shingles is an infection of the herpes zoster virus, the same one that causes chicken pox, but in this case it’s in the nerves, which is why its notorious as such a painful condition. Often it follows the path of a nerve around one side of your torso, which is bad enough, but it can also happen on the face or other very uncomfortable parts of the body.

If you had chicken pox as a child, shingles can flare up in adulthood if your immune system dips due to ageing or going through a very stressful or draining time in your life. The virus has been dormant in your system all that time, and finally manages to get the upper hand over your immune system.

Pain, itching and a weeping rash are common symptoms.

Postherpetic neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be an unfortunate complication of shingles, with a burning pain that can continue long after your shingles rash itself has cleared.

Risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia include being over 50, having severe shingles or shingles on the face or torso, having other existing conditions such as diabetes, or not receiving prompt treatment for your shingles.

How much research has been done on acupuncture for shingles?

Individual studies can produce conflicing answers, so it’s great if the research has advanced to the stage where scientists have done the kind of studies that are called systematic reviews or meta analyses. These are studies of studies, investigating all of the studies that have been done on this topic, and trying to draw an overall conclusion.

Often we’ll find that acupuncture research is not yet at the stage where this level of research has been done yet, so in this case I was happy to see a number of recent meta analysis studies about acupuncture for shingles and/or acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia.

What does the research say about acupuncture for shingles (or herpes zoster, HZ)?

Overall, the researchers concluded that more research is still needed, but based on what is available so far, they did have some positive things to say:

Acupuncture may be effective for patients with HZ. Nevertheless, this finding should be validated by conducting high-quality trials with a larger sample size.
Conclusion of a meta analysis in 2021, after analysing the results of 21 randomised controlled trials

And what about acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)?

Acupuncture may reduce pain intensity, relieve anxiety and improve quality of life in patients with PHN. Further randomized trials with larger sample sizes and of higher methodological quality are needed to confirm these results.
Conclusion of a meta analysis in 2018

There was not enough evidence to suggest that acupuncture was superior to pharmacologic therapy in improving global impression or life quality. No adverse effects about acupuncture were reported. In all, acupuncture is safe and might be effective in pain relieving for patients with PHN. Given the low quality of included studies, the results are not conclusive and more large-scale RCTs with high quality are needed.
Conclusion of a meta analysis in 2019

Book in for some acupuncture

If you’re suffering with the horrors of shingles, you have my sympathy! If you’d like to book in for some acupuncture, just get in touch.

References

2018 study: Wang Y, Li W, Peng W, Zhou J, Liu Z. Acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(34):e11986. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011986

2019 study: Pei W, Zeng J, Lu L, Lin G, Ruan J. Is acupuncture an effective postherpetic neuralgia treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res. 2019;12:2155-2165
https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S199950

2021 study: Cui Y, Wang F, Li H, Zhang X, Zhao X, Wang D. Efficacy of Acupuncture for Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Complement Med Res. 2021;28(5):463-472. English. doi: 10.1159/000515138. Epub 2021 Apr 6. PMID: 33823512.

Image by Martin Büdenbender from Pixabay

Acupuncture coming to Mount Nasura

Are you ready for some acupuncture? Help is at hand – I’m coming to the fabulous Elevated Mind Body Soul centre in Mount Nasura.

Jesssica Kennedy, qualified in acupuncture in the UK in 2005

How can acupuncture help?

I think people often think of acupuncture as something that can help with pain, but the benefits of acupuncture can be a lot broader than that! Just to give two examples, I’ve written here about the benefits of acupuncture for migraines and for hayfever.

My interest areas

Everyone is welcome! I have a general practice and really enjoy seeing all different kinds of problems, and all different kinds of people during my working day.

I practice two styles of acupuncture together – one is TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, which means something quite specific. And also an approach which is rarer in Australia – Five Element Acupuncture, which has a particular interest in emotional wellbeing and in mental health.

Book your first appointment

So if you’d like to find out what acupuncture may be able to do for you, just get in touch.

Address: Armadale Acupuncture at Elevated Mind Body Soul, 1 Lefroy Rd, Mount Nasura WA 6112

Acupuncture is coming to Narrogin

Acupuncture is coming to Narrogin! Offering a fresh approach for lots of areas of your health. From Monday 15 March I’ll be providing acupuncture once a fortnight at Narrogin Chiropractic.

Acupuncture for everyone

Have you tried acupuncture yet? If you have, you’re part of a trend – nearly one in ten Australians use acupuncture each year, according to research in 2005.

Interestingly, that data showed more people in NSW, Victoria and Queensland having acupuncture than in WA. I suspect that lower availability has been part of what has been holding WA back.

Every community deserves access to all forms of health care. Certainly more and more people around the world are making use of what acupuncture has to offer – global growth is estimated at 14.5% per year.

And country doctors in Australia are aware of the benefits too – 68% of NSW country GPs refer patients at least a few times a year for acupuncture, according to a study in 2013.

Joining the Narrogin Chiropractic team

I’ve been chatting to locations all around town over recent months, looking for the ideal venue for acupuncture, and I’ve met lots of lovely people along the way.

Hygiene is mission-critical for acupuncture, so with all the very specific requirements about handwashing facilities and washable flooring and whatnot, it’s taken me some time to find my new base with the great team at Narrogin Chiropractic. The first two times I came to town looking for premises were on days the clinic wasn’t open, so I just peered mournfully through the glass at the beautiful reception area…

Now that I’ve finally managed to meet Roueen and Kiara, it feels like I’ve reached the perfect spot. Waiting to meet with them, and watching patients come and go through the reception area, showcased such a warm and welcoming environment.

How is acupuncture different from dry needling?

Dry needling is more and more available, from all different practitioners. It’s a really positive thing for a partial form of acupuncture to be reaching a wider audience.

The type of musculo-skeletal needling that dry needlers do though, is only a small part of what the full discipline of traditional acupuncture – and more than three years of acupuncture training – can offer you.

Science is catching up too, with studies now confirming the benefits of acupuncture for a wide range of health problems, from hayfever to migraines.

About me

So what’s bringing me to Narrogin? Well, I’d have been surprised if you’d have told me five years ago what I’d be up to now! The short answer is – I moved to Perth three years ago from the UK and I’m now obsessed with camping, exploring WA, and getting out into nature.

Way back in the day, I qualified in the UK in 2005 and built up a busy practice in London. When nature started calling me, I moved first to the green fields and quaint villages of the Cotswolds. But then the sunshine started calling me, and now here I am! Lucky me.

My practice integrates two fantastic styles of acupuncture – TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. Both have histories dating back through 2,000 years of East Asian medicine. Five Element acupuncture is not taught in Australia – unlike the US and Europe – and it has a strong emphasis on mental and emotional wellbeing.

I am registered with AHPRA (the Australian healthcare regulator), and with the health funds.

Book your treatment

If you’re ready to give acupuncture a try, and keen to support a new local service, get in touch.

References

Wardle, Jonathan & Sibbritt, David & Adams, Jon. (2013). Acupuncture Referrals in Rural Primary Healthcare: A Survey of General Practitioners in Rural and Regional New South Wales, Australia. Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. 31. 10.1136/acupmed-2013-010393.

Xue, Charlie & Zhang, Tony & Yang, Angela & Zhang, Claire Shuiqing & Story, David. (2009). Recent developments of acupuncture in Australia and the way forward. Chinese Medicine. 4. 10.1186/1749-8546-4-7.

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/acupuncture-market-industry-trends-size-growth-insight-share-competitive-analysis-statistics-regional-and-global-industry-forecast-to-2023-2020-08-18#: (para 6)

Acupuncture in Moora

Jessica Kennedy at Moora Wellness Centre

Small towns deserve all the same services as big cities! Especially when it comes to our health. The positive evidence base for acupuncture is slowly growing, confirming the benefits for a range of conditions as diverse as hayfever and migraines.

And even Australia’s country doctors are on board – in 2013 a study in regional and rural NSW showed 68% of GPs referring patients for acupuncture at least a few times per year.

So the good news is that more acupuncture is coming to Moora! From 12 November, I’ll be offering appointments twice a month at the Moora Wellness Centre on Gardiner Street.

Acupuncture for everyone

If you’d like to book in to see how acupuncture may be able to help you, you’ll be in good company.

A a 2005 research project showed that nearly 1 in 10 Australians had used acupuncture within the last year. The study showed more people seeing acupuncturists in NSW, Victoria and Queensland than in our other states, so I’d guess that’s because that’s where it’s been most available.

And acupuncture is on the move across the world, with global acupuncture demand estimated to be climbing at 14.5% per year, as more and more people find out about its benefits.

Joining the Moora Wellness team

“We’re so pleased Jessica’s going to be joining us here at the Moora Wellness Centre! Moora has a way of drawing people in, and we’re so thrilled Jessica is bringing her wealth of knowledge to practice here. Whether you live in a city or rurally, everyone deserves access to the full range of health services available.”
Joley Holliday, Moora Wellness Centre

Loving the country life

I’ve lived in big cities and tiny villages, and there’s a huge soft spot in my heart for both. When I moved from the UK to Perth, I wasn’t planning to be one of those Perth folk who never leave the metro area, except to fly to Bali! I’ve been out and about in WA, enjoying all the natural beauty this gorgeous state has to offer.

It was passing through Moora on the way back from a camping trip, that inspiration struck. I found myself gazing at the Moora Wellness Centre, and thinking, huh! Then I drove back to Perth, and the natural beauty on the way just blew me away. How can I fit more of this into my life, I was thinking? So I dropped an email to Joley and Marcus…

Back story

What brought me to this point? I studied acupuncture in the UK and qualified in 2005, and built up a busy practice in London. In the end though I couldn’t resist the before the lure of WA’s natural beauty and sunny skies.

I practice two styles of acupuncture in an integrated way – Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Five Element style. These both date back through 2,000 extraordinary years of the history of traditional east Asian medicine. Five Element acupuncture is taught at colleges in the US and Europe, but the full training is not available in Australia, so usually it’s harder to access here. It has a particular focus on mental and emotional wellbeing.

I’m AHPRA registered and recognised by the health funds.

Book your treatment

If you’re ready to give acupuncture a try, and keen to support a new local service, get in touch.

References

Five Element Acupuncture in Perth

Here I am with a few words about the joys of Five Element acupuncture, from Marie Hopkinson’s fantastic Chinese Medicine Podcast.

Five ElemeFive Element acupuncture interviewnt acupuncture interview

A few quotes…

I think I might be the first person practising Five Element acupuncture in Perth … the thing that’s really special about Five Element is that it really looks at you, the patient, as an individual, in a lot of depth … this is a strength of Chinese Medicine in general … and Five Element takes it to an even deeper level.

Chinese Medicine has this really integrated understanding of how the mind and the body move together … people often have no idea of the things that acupuncture CAN help with … people often don’t think to mention some of the ways they’re not feeling great, unless you ask the questions … people tend to be drawn to the practitioner who is really well suited to what they need.

One thing I really quickly realised, when I was studying acupuncture, and I had my first few patients, is, nobody is dull. Everybody is fascinating. It’s like you sit with someone, and have a conversation with them for like a half hour, and it’s like this beautiful little journey of discovery. And it’s not uncommon that for them it’s a journey of self discovery. Hearing questions, thinking about themselves, feeling really deeply heard, in a way that isn’t commonplace.

So holding that space, really seeing someone, really hearing them, and doing the background thing of ‘what is it that that person needs?’, is a total joy to participate in.

Wellbeing during social distancing – Qi Kung & acupressure

Greetings! I hope you’re well. Here are some traditional ideas and practices from Chinese medicine, that you may find useful in supporting your wellbeing during the challenges of social distancing.

(And it’s important to say that the things I’m sharing here are not claims of medical benefits backed up by scientific evidence. These tips are not any kind of substitute for medical advice or treatment. In particular in no way am I suggesting that anything here can prevent or treat Covid 19.)

Introduction

Wellbeing during social distancing – Introduction
Introduction: Wellbeing during social distancingTraditional ideas and practices from Chinese medicine that you may find useful in supporting your wellbeing during the challenges of social distancin
Posted by Jessica Kennedy – Acupuncture Perth on Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Complete sequence of 18 Qi Kung exercises

20: Complete sequence of 18 Qi Kung exercises
20: Complete sequence of 18 Qi Kung exercises(Traditional ideas and practices from Chinese medicine that you may find useful in supporting your wellbeing during the challenges of social distancing)
Posted by Jessica Kennedy – Acupuncture Perth on Sunday, 12 April 2020

Acupressure points summary

21: Acupressure points summary
21: Acupressure points summary(Traditional ideas and practices from Chinese medicine that you may find useful in supporting your wellbeing during the challenges of social distancing)
Posted by Jessica Kennedy – Acupuncture Perth on Tuesday, 14 April 2020

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