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March 2022 – AAMA Member Newsletter

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  • March 2022 – AAMA Member Newsletter

Message from the AAMA Board

NADA Acupuncture for the Trauma of COVID

In January of his year I participated for two weeks in assisting the respiratory therapists in the management of ventilators, BiPap, and high-flow oxygen for COVID patients in the ICU. As anesthesiologists, we were asked to volunteer to help out during the very crucial time of the third wave of high infection rates. The therapists were short staffed and overworked, so some of us worked evenings to alleviate their fatigue and basically lift their moraIe.

I found the experience very rewarding. I was amazed at how dedicated the respiratory therapists were to their patients. Being in the OR all day, I had forgotten how essential these people are to the recovery process of our patients. I couldn’t help but think that these health workers had to have also suffered from PTSD taking care of so many sick COVID patients — many of whom died.

I inquired with the director of the RT Department if I could to offer a free group acupuncture clinic for the respiratory therapist team. They agreed and were enthusiastic to experience an acupuncture treatment. I decided on the NADA protocol because of its affiliation with the group known as Acupuncturists Without Borders. If you do not know of them, they offer a course teaching the NADA protocol to be used in settings of trauma (i.e., hurricane, flood, tornado, etc.), and I had taken the course in 2015.

So I had each participant sit comfortably in a chair and administered the following points with a brief explanation as I placed them in the ears bilaterally. They were left in for 30 minutes. I performed three sessions with eight participants in each.

  • #1 point : Sympathetic – stress and reset button for the nervous system
  • #2 point : Shen Men – creating calm in the heart
  • #3 point : Kidney – the primary energy of your being, the fundamental drive to live
  • #4 point: Liver – the movement upward and outward that gives direction and plan
  • #5 point: Lung- taking and letting go … grief

The treatments were well received and provided relaxation and reflection for a group of people who had been at the forefront of the COVID battle.

Nancy Lorenzini, MD, DABMA 
AAMA Board of Directors

AAMA invites leadership volunteers

Serve on the AAMA Board of Directors and/or Committees

The Academy is a member-driven organization. Members of the Academy serve on the Board of Directors and on Committees advising the Board and make decisions regarding the priorities, programs and activities of our organization. They help guide the future of the Academy. All members are invited to take part in this volunteer governance process. You can take on a small task with a clearly defined time commitment, or you can play a more significant leadership role as a member of a standing committee or as a Board member. Committee volunteers are welcome year-round. The Board of Directors holds elections in the spring each year, when Directors and Officers are chosen by the members to guide the Academy for the following year. If you are interested in being considered for a seat on the Board of Directors, please reach out and let us know. We welcome your inquiry! Learn more.

Upcoming Professional Development & Educational Opportunities

Styles of Acupuncture: Western Medical Acupuncture
Webinar Co-hosted by: Society of Acupuncture Research (SAR) and Medical Residency in Acupuncture HU-UFSC (Brazil)
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
3:30pm – 5:00pm EDT
Virtual Event
Registration deadline: Monday, March 28 by midnight EDT.

Contemporary Acupuncture Advances: Chronic Pelvic Pain & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education (CHSE)
In conjunction with the Canadian Contemporary Acupuncture Association
Virtual Event
Friday, April 29, 2022
8:00am – 3:20pm

NEW! 2022 Core Refresher Course
Cincinatti, OH
May 4, 2022

2022 AAMA Annual Symposium
Cincinnati, OH
May 5-8, 2022

2022 International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health
Phoenix, AZ
May 23-26, 2022

ICMART 2022
Bologna, Italy
October 14-16, 2022

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.

Medical Acupuncture Journal Updates 

Read Fast-Track articles, ahead of print.

Most Recent Issue: February 2022

Most-recent CME Articles:

Access Journal Content

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 February 2022.

  • Jennifer L. Lakis, DO, of Brunswick, ME
  • Colleen F. Swayze, MD, of West Chester, OH
  • Mary L. Landwehr, MD, of Chippewa Falls, WI
  • Keryl Motta-Valencia, MD, of Trujilio Alto, PR
  • Katherine J Pica, MD, of Sparta, WI

And welcome back to one physician who is a returning member!

  • Bryan S. McCarthy, DO, of New Castle, DE

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.

Physician Completes 10-Year ABMA Re-certification Process

Congratulations to the following physician who has completed the process (http://www.dabma.org/recertification.asp) set by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture (ABMA) to be re-certified as a Diplomate for another 10 years:

  • Ahmed Saad Abdel-Aziz, MD, DABMA, of Greenwood, MS

AAMA Legislative Committee Report

The Legislative Committee continues its work monitoring and responding to legislation relevant to our members and their practice of medical acupuncture. Currently, the committee is monitoring 58 bills regarding acupuncture, chronic pain, substance use disorder, and dry needling. Activity of note includes:

  • A letter was sent to State Senator Vitale of New Jersey requesting an amendment to a bill (S1121) which would prohibit physicians who practice acupuncture from advertising that they are board certified.
  • A letter was sent to Maryland legislators opposing dry needling by athletic trainers (SB711).
  • A second round of letters was submitted to committees in opposition to Hawaii HB1679 and SB2276. The American College of Physicians was notified of this legislation.
  • The committee contacted the Minnesota Medical Association to discuss MN HF3593 and SF3579, which expand the scope of practice of licensed acupuncturists. Letters were sent to the bills’ sponsors.
  • Committee co-chair, Donna Pittman, attended the Alliance to Advance Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management (AACIPM) online discussion of the draft of the updated CDC Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids – 2022.

The Legislative Committee will continue to watch for bills that affect AAMA members and respond to the authors and co-sponsors appropriately. We will also contact YOU when legislation in your state may affect your ability to practice acupuncture. In that event, we ask that you write your representatives and senators since they prefer to hear directly from their constituents. If you learn of relevant legislative activity, please connect with the committee by email: info@medicalacupuncture.org.

2022 Annual Symposium – Dates, Deadlines & Details

The Annual AAMA Symposium will be held in-person, May 5-8, 2022, at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, OH. Make plans now to re-connect with friends and colleagues at this four-day educational event!

Symposium Objectives

  • Expand awareness of scientific research into the effects of acupuncture.
  • Focus on clinically relevant treatment approaches that can easily be integrated into clinical practice.
  • Introduce attendees to a variety of approaches for the treatment of common conditions seen in clinical practice.
  • Teach attendees new ways to tailor acupuncture treatments to their individual patients.
  • Provide time for networking with leaders, peers and friends who practice medical acupuncture.

Hotel Details

The Annual AAMA Symposium will be held in-person, May 5-8, 2022, at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, OH. The AAMA has negotiated a discounted rate of $184 + tax/night. Register now. The discount expires April 13, 2022, or whenever the room block sells out.

Pre-Symposium Workshops

The following workshops are scheduled for Thursday, May 5, 2022. Attendees may select one workshop as an optional add-on to expand the educational opportunities provided at the Symposium. (There is an additional fee to attend a Pre-Symposium Workshop.) View workshop schedule.

  • Auricular Acupuncture Microsystem presented by Nader Soliman, MD, FAAMA
  • Balance Methods presented by Eileen Yue-Ling Han PhD, LAc
  • Simplifying Constitutional Diagnosis presented by Jeffrey Meyers, MD, LAc

Fellow Application Deadline for 2022 is April 8

To be nominated to Fellow of the Academy one must submit an application documenting the following:

  • Possess an MD or DO degree or equivalent.
  • Be licensed to practice as an MD, DO or homeopathic physician in the US or Canada.
  • Be Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture.
  • Be a current Full member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
  • Have a minimum of five years of Western medicine practice experience or be Board Certified in his or her medical specialty.
  • Have a minimum of four years of clinical experience in medical acupuncture since completing a basic training program in medical acupuncture.
  • Have published or have accepted for publication an acupuncture related article in a recognized medical periodical.

OR

  • Have documented ten hours or more of experience teaching medical professionals on acupuncture related topics.

Want to learn more?

AAMA Member Reflects on Acupuncture’s Evolution in Michigan

“I reflected on Michigan’s transformation from an acupuncture wild west to a place where acupuncture has institutional approval, I realized that there were several women who made this happen and I wanted to share their stories,” said Alison Lee, MD, FAAMA.

In her essay, Lee describes the perseverance of a dedicated group of women who fought to secure a place for acupuncture in Michigan’s health care landscape. Their challenges and victories serve as an inspiring lesson to us all.

Here’s an excerpt:

When I arrived in Michigan almost 30 years ago, physician and non-physician acupuncturists were practicing throughout the state in a disconnected and independent environment that lacked significant organization. On the regulatory level, there were no restrictions on the physician in terms of scope of practice, and any physician was free to offer acupuncture to their patients. No licensing mechanism existed for non-physician acupuncturists, so they were not recognized by the state as qualified to practice medicine or acupuncture, but the environment was lenient allowing them to freely establish acupuncture clinics.

Read the full article.

NCCIH: Research Funding Supports Admin & Diversity

Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Principal investigators of specific mechanisms: Funds are available for administrative supplements to enhance the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting and supporting students, post-doctorates, and eligible investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research. NCCIH accepts applications four times a year, due on January 2, April 1, July 1, or October 1.  Read the NCCIH-specific information for details.

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

Calls for Papers/Submissions

  • Deadline Extended: March 30, 2022
    Treating COVID Long Haulers – Special Issue of the journal of Medical Acupuncture
    Acupuncture and herbs are known for their ability to reduce a myriad of physical and psychological conditions. In the interest of fostering an understanding of their effectiveness in treating some of the many common and/or complex conditions encountered with “Long Haulers,” we are interested in submissions of original translational research, case series, or review articles that will be of practical importance.

Good Faith Estimate Requirement for Billing

The Good Faith Estimate (GFE) provision of the No Surprises Act, effective 1/1/22, says that “a GFE must be provided to all uninsured (or self-pay) individuals who schedule items or services or request a GFE. A GFE is required even if there is a set price for the service because the actual billed charges may not reflect the anticipated set price for the service at the time of estimate.”

New Scientific Research Related to Acupuncture 

Acupuncture in multidisciplinary treatment of post- COVID-19 Syndrome: A Case Report
[Connor Whole Health, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center]
In this case, acupuncture appeared to facilitate PCS recovery. However, the independent effects of acupuncture are less clear given the concurrent STPA/exercise therapy, and should be explored using larger study designs. Acupuncture is an attractive potential PCS therapy, considering its holistic approach and that it may be added to a multidisciplinary, guideline-concordant regimen.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of herpes zoster
[Annals of Palliative Medicine]
Compared to Western medicine treatments, acupuncture had a better effect on HZ, reduced the posterior neuralgia rate of patients, and shortened the course of treatment, but had no obvious effect on the relief of pain.

Mast Cells and Acupuncture Analgesia
[Cells]
Mast cells are widely distributed in various parts of the human body and play a vital role in the progression of many diseases. Recently, the close relationship between mast cells and acupoints was elucidated, and the role of mast cells in acupuncture analgesia has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. … this review will give a scientific explanation of acupuncture analgesia from the material basis of acupoints, the local initiation, and afferent biological mechanism.

 

Note: Some of these news sources may require you to create a free account to read their content, while others may have a paywall. 

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