Message from the AAMA Board

New Leadership Elected at Annual Symposium

The AAMA’s 2023 Annual Symposium drew attendees from across the United States to convene in Dallas, TX. Once again, the event showcased current research and emerging trends in the world of medical acupuncture. We are grateful to all of the committee members, staff members, speakers, presenters, attendees and sponsors who contributed their efforts. Your hard work made the event a huge success!

For those of you who weren’t able to attend, it’s not too late to take advantage of the educational offerings. The session recordings will be available soon to watch on-demand.

Among the important business and announcements that were part of the Symposium was the election and announcement of the AAMA 2023-24 leadership.

Board of Directors

  • Jennifer Dilts, DO, FAAMA
  • Mitch Elkiss, DO, FAAMA
  • Michel Freedman, MD, FAAMA
  • Tate Kauffman, MD, DABMA
  • Gary Stanton, MD, FAAMA

Newly Elected Officers

  • PRESIDENT – Donna Pittman, MD, FAAMA
  • VICE PRESIDENT – Joseph Audette, MD
  • TREASURER – Barbara de la Torre, MD, FAAMA
  • SECRETARY – Michael Freedman, MD, FAAMA
  • IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT – Kendra Unger, MD, FAAMA

Completing their Service on the Board

  • Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA
  • Janice Brown, MD, DABMA
  • Tammy Lindsay, MD, FAAMA
  • Susan Sorensen, MD, FAAMA

Our sincere thanks to all who have volunteered their time and talents to the Board and to various AAMA committees. Their work on the Academy’s behalf is vital to our organization. If you’re not already involved and you’re interested in exploring the leadership opportunities available with the AAMA, please view the Governance section of our website.

New AAMA Fellows Elected!

Congratulations to the following members who were elected to be Fellows of the Academy during the Symposium:

  • Susan V. Clemens, MD, FAAMA, of Barrington, RI
  • David Coggin-Carr, MD, PhD, FAAMA, of South Burlington, VT
  • Jennifer J. Dilts, DO, FAAMA, of Liberty, MO
  • P. Grace Harrell, MD, FAAMA, of Irvine, CA
  • Mary Hebert, MD, FAAMA, of Nacogdoches, TX
  • Jeevan S. Sekhar, MD, FAAMA, of Richmond, IN

If you are interested in becoming a Fellow next year, deadlines for next year’s application process will be announced shortly on the AAMA website.

Annual Scientific Poster Presentation Winners Announced

Thank you to all of the authors who submitted poster abstracts for this year’s Symposium! Congratulations to the following poster winners, whose outstanding work was displayed at the Symposium reception and authors were available to discuss their work. The lively session featured discussion of each authors’ research and results.

  • 1st Prize ($500) – Yuan-Chi Lin, MD – “Acupuncture for Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes”
  • 2nd Prize ($250) – Lisa Seaman, LAc – “Implementing Acupuncture Treatment as an Analgesia Strategy in a Busy Urban Emergency Department”
  • 3rd Prize ($100) – Malia C. Maier, MPH – “Our Mind Could be Our biggest Challenge: A Qualitative Analysis of Urban Adolescents’ Sleep Experiences and Opportunities for Mind-Body Integrative Health Approaches to Improve Sleep”

Short videos from each author will be shared with AAMA members. Look for the videos to be available soon.

Upcoming Professional Development & Educational Opportunities

ICMART FREE Webinar
Acupuncture and Related Techniques
May 14, 2023
11:00am GMT

SAR 2023 Conference
From Mechanism to Patient-Centered Care: Research in Acupuncture and Traditional East Asian Medicine
May 18-21, 2023
New York City, NY, USA

NCCIH: Unleashing the Power of Prevention To Enhance Well-Being Across the Lifespan
May 25, 2023, 12:00 p.m. ET to 1:30 p.m. ET.

NCCIH: New Insights Into Prevention and Management of Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents
June 15, 2023, 12:00 p.m. ET to 1:15 p.m. ET

NCCIH Joint Pain Event
Understanding and Restoring Whole Joint Health in Pain Management
July 25, 2023
Virtual Event

ICMART 2023 – Amsterdam
September 29-Oct. 1, 2023
AAMA Members register as ICMART Members

Applied Kinesiology: Manual Muscle Testing Comes Alive!
October 28-29, 2023
Ann Arbor, MI

AAMA Website: Education Listings
The AAMA maintains an ongoing calendar of educational events and professional development opportunities related to medical acupuncture. The calendar is accessible on the AAMA website. Members are encouraged to share events and calendar items from their regions and about educational topics that may be of wider interest among peers and fellow AAMA members.

AAMA News & Announcements

Welcome Our New & Returning AAMA Members

Please join us in welcoming the following new members who became part of the Academy in March 2023.

  • Leslie H. Boyce, MD, of Cary, NC
  • Gabrielle Bosworth, MD, of Oakland, OR
  • Jill P H McMullen, MD, of Tomah, WI
  • Letitia Lyons Watson, MD, of Schertz, TX
  • Rebecca L. Peebles, DO, of Tyler, TX
  • Lauren J. Scher, MD, of Bethesda, MD

And a warm welcome back to our returning members!

  • Anna Golja, MD, of Brookline, MA
  • Grace Harrell, MD, of Irvine, CA

If you have peers or colleagues who aren’t currently members of the AAMA, please encourage them to learn more about the benefits of membership by visiting the website or contacting Janice Brown, the membership committee chair.

Coming Soon: AAMA Membership Renewal Info

In just a few weeks, AAMA’s annual membership renewal season will launch with easy online renewal options for all current members. Please remember that your membership comes with valuable benefits that can strengthen your practice of medical acupuncture.

  • Live and Virtual Educational Events
  • State and National Advocacy Initiatives
  • Patient Referrals
  • Research Support & Updates

Your membership also supports the practice of medical acupuncture on a national and international scale — building the evidence base for its use in clinical settings.

AAMA invites leadership volunteers

NCCIH Lecture Series – Upcoming Events

The NCCIH Integrative Medicine Research Lecture Series provides overviews of the current state of research and practice involving complementary health approaches and explores perspectives on integrative health. NCCIH will livestream and archive the lectures. Learn more.

May 25, 2023 @ 12:00 p.m. ET to 1:30 p.m. ET
Unleashing the Power of Prevention To Enhance Well-Being Across the Lifespan
Presenter: Margaret Kuklinski, Ph.D.

June 15, 2023 @ 12:00 p.m. ET to 1:15 p.m. ET
New Insights Into Prevention and Management of Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents
Presenter: Tonya M. Palermo, Ph.D.

Workshop Announced — Applied Kinesiology: Manual Muscle Testing Comes Alive!

Presenter: Jay Sandweiss, DO, DABMA, FAAMA
October 28-29, 2023 • Ann Arbor, MI

Applied Kinesiology is a unique system of diagnosis and treatment that utilizes manual muscle testing to determine the underlying factors responsible for somatic dysfunctions. Each muscle in the body has been correlated with a specific organ or gland, acupuncture meridian, Chapman’s reflex, Bennett’s reflex, nutritional need, cranial stress receptor, or other significant treatment modality. A protocol is taught that systematically seeks out the specific therapies needed by the patient to achieve a healing response. This two-day course, led by AAMA member Dr. Jay Sandweiss, includes instruction on artful muscle testing of numerous muscle groups, therapy localization techniques, lymphatic and circulatory enhancement techniques, and much more. Learn more: https://www.doctorjaysandweiss.com/

Multiple Sclerosis and Complementary Health Approaches

According to the NCCIH Clinical Digest, “Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) use complementary health approaches to help reduce relapses or relieve symptoms, such as pain, muscle spasticity, fatigue, cognition, and depression. Some mind and body practices, such as yoga, may help ease some symptoms of MS, but there is currently no definitive evidence to suggest that any dietary supplement is effective to reduce relapses or symptoms of MS.”

Although the NCCIH does not include acupuncture in this compendium of information about MS, several other sources do:

LAST CHANCE — Call for Papers on Sports Injuries & Acupuncture

AAMA members are invited to contribute to a special issue of the journal Medical Acupuncture, which will focus on “The Role of Acupuncture in Sports Injuries and Best Practices.” Please contribute your clinical experience and research on the use of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in treating sports injuries. Your article will undergo blinded peer review, and if accepted for publication, will be included in the special issue and promoted globally. The issue will provide a broad overview of the best practices of acupuncture to palliate and assist in healing acute and chronic sport injuries. The deadline for article submission is May 5, 2023. Please review details about suggested topics and submission criteria. Learn more.

Are You Following Us?

Join the conversations online with fellow physician acupuncturists from around the country! You can find AAMA on:

There’s even a closed group on Facebook for discussion between members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aamagroup

In Case You Missed It Last Month

Watch: 2022 Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture

Presented by Claudia Citkovitz, PhD, MS, LAc, and Lisa Conboy, MA, MS, the lecture is titled “Complexity Science: A New (Ancient) Trajectory for Acupuncture Research and Practice.” View 2022 Hugh MacPherson Memorial Lecture (scroll down the page).

ICMART 2023 Conference in Amsterdam

ICMART congresses are an excellent opportunity to get the newest developments on scientific acupuncture, related techniques, research and clinical practice. The AAMA is an organizational member of ICMART, so all AAMA members are invited to enjoy member discounts on ICMART registration. Early-bird pricing ends June 30. Learn more.

Call for Webinar Presenters

The Education Committee invites AAMA members to propose and present an educational webinar to their AAMA peers. Share your expertise so your colleagues can gain insights and knowledge to help them take their practices and skills to the next level, while earning valuable CME credits. Learn more. Interested parties should complete the proposal form and return to the AAMA at info@medicalacupuncture.org.

New Scientific Research Related to Acupuncture 

Comparative effectiveness and safety of analgesic medicines for adults with acute non-specific low back pain: systematic review and network meta-analysis
[BMJ]
Conclusion: The comparative effectiveness and safety of analgesic medicines for acute non-specific low back pain are uncertain. Until higher quality randomised controlled trials of head-to-head comparisons are published, clinicians and patients are recommended to take a cautious approach to manage acute non-specific low back pain with analgesic medicines.

Clinical efficacy and immune effects of acupuncture in patients with comorbid chronic pain and major depression disorder: A double-blinded, randomized controlled crossover study
[Brain, Behavior, and Immunity]
Conclusion: This study rejected our hypothesis that the pain-specific acupoints might produce superior analgesic effects than the depression-specific acupoints and vice versa. The cytokine results might imply that pain and depression share common biological mechanisms.

The Cellular Mechanism of Acupuncture for Ulcerative Colitis based on the Communication of Telocytes
[Microscopy and Microanalysis]
Acupuncture can ameliorate or treat diseases according to the meridian theory in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); however, its mechanism has not been scientifically clarified. On the other hand, telocytes (TCs) are morphologically in accordance with the meridian system, which needs further cytological investigations and acupuncture confirmation. The present study showed that acupuncture could activate TCs in several ways, alleviating rabbit ulcerative colitis.

Qualitative Analysis Of Study Participant Feedback On Emergency Department Acupuncture To Improve Trial Participation Experience
[The Journal of Pain]
To adapt acupuncture for the ED in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of ED acupuncture for acute musculoskeletal pain management, we collected qualitative interview feedback from ED patients on their experiences and recommendations to iteratively improve the intervention, balancing feasible ED delivery with patient acceptability and treatment satisfaction.

Delivery of acupuncture in clinical trials: Research acupuncturists’ perspectives
[Journal of Integrative Medicine]
Delivery of acupuncture in the setting of a clinical trial is a unique practice that diverges significantly from the delivery of acupuncture in a real-world clinical setting. Research acupuncturists, particularly those trained in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), are often required to set aside valued precepts of traditional care, including diagnosing imbalances, individualizing treatment, and forging a therapeutic relationship with patients.

 

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