After doing the most brief patient intake, and after reviewing various inconclusive medical records provided by the patient, I palpated this young woman’s radial pulses and analyzed her tongue. She had become ill after a vacation in the tropics, and her health had steadily declined over a period of several months to a point in which she could no longer work or live independently. Terrified of receiving acupuncture, she had only contacted me as a “last resort” after several people had referred her to me. Her first and only experience with acupuncture was from a treatment she had received from a chiropractor, who, according to the patient, inserted several needles deeply along her spine, from the nape of her neck down to the sacrum.  The treatment resulted in the patient having extreme difficulty breathing and severe pain all over her body for days.

I utilized a gentle, non-insertion technique of acupuncture to provide some immediate relief for this woman, referred her to a physician, and went home amazed that any kind of medical professional would perform deep needling on such an emaciated, feeble patient.

Chiropractic acupuncture and medical acupuncture is an immediate public safety concern that must be illegalized.  Only licensed acupuncturists who have undertaken years of study at an accredited acupuncture graduate college should be approved to perform this invasive procedure.

Jamie Koonce, L.Ac.

Spread this

I was having dinner with my grandmother and she began asking me how safe acupuncture is.

She has been getting acupuncture for years (from an L.Ac.) so I asked why the sudden safety concern? She told me a friend at work had recently had her lung punctured by an acupuncturist. My grandmother was now concerned about this happening to her.

I was shocked. I had heard of this happening, but by students or unqualified practitioners. Most properly trained L.Ac.’s know how hard you have to try to actually collapse a lobe of the lung. I explained this to my grandma and asked if she knew who the practitioner was. She said that it was the woman’s primary care MD at Kaiser. Bingo!

This MD had taken a medical acupuncture course and was now providing acupuncture through Kaiser. I used this opportunity to educate my grandmother (and hopefully her friend in turn) about the difference in training and the importance of seeing an L.Ac. to insure a safe and effective treatment.

It is very scary to me to think that people trusting that their MD’s “know best” (or whose treatment are covered by their insurance) are receiving acupuncture by unqualified providers that can do them harm; and in turn harm our credibility and professionalism.

Tamsen Staniford, L.Ac.

Spread this