GPs look at possible benefits of acupuncture for ‘frequent
attenders’
1st June 20011
Two studies in this month’s British Journal of
General Practice suggest that patients who visit their GP
frequently with medically unexplained physical symptoms may benefit
from a course of acupuncture.
Both studies were lead by Dr Charlotte Paterson, Academic GP and
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Health Services
Research, Peninsula Medical School. The first looked at
how patients perceive and experience acupuncture treatment and the
other investigated its effectiveness.
The studies found that many patients who were treated with
five-element acupuncture perceived a range of positive effects and
appeared to take on a more active role in consultations and self
care. They also showed an improvement in health status and
wellbeing that was sustained for 12 months.
Professor Roger Jones, Editor of the BJGP, said: “Although there
are countless reports of the benefits of acupuncture for a range of
medical problems, there have been very few well-conducted,
randomised controlled trials. Charlotte Paterson’s work
considerably strengthens the evidence base for using acupuncture to
help patients who are troubled by symptoms that we find difficult
both to diagnose and to treat.”
The papers are also published alongside an editorial from two
professors in China who discuss the use and effectiveness of
acupuncture in Western medicine. Acupuncture is commonly used
in China to treat several symptoms and conditions including pain,
tinnitus and diabetes.
The authors - Professors Wong Samuel Yeung Shan and Chung
Vincent Chi Ho - say that acupuncture is certainly growing in
popularity in the West, including the UK where NICE suggests its
use for persistent lower back pain. They look at the
two studies and agree they are important as ‘knowing the ‘why’ and
‘how’ patients benefit from acupuncture that can help healthcare
providers identify the types of patients who may find acupuncture
most acceptable. They add ‘understanding patient’s
experiences of acupuncture can shed light on potential psychosocial
factors that can contribute to [its] effectiveness.’
The authors of the studies add that more work needs to be done
to determine the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in primary
care. Wong and Chun also add that this is particularly
important because ‘with an ageing population and an increasing
prevalence of chronic conditions, most health systems are seeking
ways to provide more cost-effective healthcare services’.
Also in the June issue of the BJGP
Aspirin, even at low doses, is not without risk. Peter Rose and
colleagues from Oxford have carefully reviewed the risks as well as
the benefits of low-dose prophylactic aspirin and caution against
its use in healthy patients under 55, where risk may outweigh
benefit, and in older patients with recognised risk factors.
Direct access to transvaginal ultrasound scanning helps GPs
reassure patients, detect disease more effectively and improves
management of gynaecological problems, according to Corlien de
Vries and colleagues from Amsterdam.
Headache in adult patients should be investigated by direct
access to CT scanning, according to Dr David Kernick, but not to
MRI, because of the greater costs involved and the incidental
findings often encountered.
Cervical cytology may have after-effects. Seonaidh Cotton and
colleagues from Aberdeen asked over 1000 women about their
experiences after having smear tests and almost one third
reported symptoms, the commonest of which were pain, bleeding and
discharge - women need to know about this in advance.
FURTHER INFORMATION
RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7576 / 7575 / 7574
Out of hours: 07885 958 632
press@rcgp.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The BJGP is the leading journal of family medicine in Europe and
is distributed free of charge every month to over 42,000 GPs.
Although it is published by the RCGP, it has complete editorial
independence. Opinions expressed in the BJGP should not be taken to
represent the policy of the RCGP unless this is specifically
stated.
The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of over
42,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work
to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical
practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training,
research and clinical standards.