Kalauokalani Donna, Cherkin Daniel C, Sherman Karen J
Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California 95817, USA.
Clin J Pain. 2005 Sep-Oct;21(5):406-11. doi: 10.1097/01.ajp.0000125265.40304.c5.
Although up to a third of the 10,000 acupuncturists in the United States are medical doctors, little is known about the acupuncture techniques they use or how their practices compare with those of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists. This is the first study providing descriptive data on physician acupuncture and comparison to nonphysician acupuncture.
This study describes how a random sample of physician acupuncturists in the United States diagnose and treat chronic low back pain and contrasts their practices with those of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists.
A total of 464 questionnaires were mailed to physician acupuncturists randomly sampled from 3 sources: web-based Yellow Pages, American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists (AAMA) membership, and Pain Clinics associated with American College of Graduate Medical Education-approved fellowship programs. Responses (n=137, 30%) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of this survey were compared with data published from a similar survey of nonphysician licensed acupuncturists in Washington State.
Physicians who perform acupuncture use a mixture of styles and emphasize neuroanatomic approaches to needle placement. Most physicians received training in French Energetic acupuncture. In contrast, most nonphysician licensed acupuncturists use a traditional Chinese medicine approach to needle placement. Despite this apparent difference in their predominant styles of acupuncture, there was a high correlation between physician and nonphysician licensed acupuncturist acupoint selection to treat low back pain. In addition to acupuncture needling, physicians use other medical treatments, whereas nonphysician licensed acupuncturists' employ a variety of traditional Chinese medicine adjuncts to needling.
This study provides new information about the nature of physician acupuncture practice in the United States and how it compares to acupuncture provided by nonphysician licensed acupuncturists. Further research is necessary to determine if the different types of acupuncture provided by physicians and nonphysician acupuncturists affect treatment outcomes and costs for patients with chronic low back pain.
在美国的10000名针灸师中，尽管多达三分之一是医生，但对于他们所使用的针灸技术，以及他们的执业方式与非医生执照针灸师的执业方式相比情况如何，人们了解甚少。这是第一项提供关于医生针灸的描述性数据并与非医生针灸进行比较的研究。
本研究描述了美国医生针灸师的一个随机样本如何诊断和治疗慢性腰痛，并将他们的执业方式与非医生执照针灸师的执业方式进行对比。
总共向从3个来源随机抽取的医生针灸师邮寄了464份问卷：基于网络的黄页、美国医学针灸学会（AAMA）会员以及与美国毕业后医学教育认可的 fellowship项目相关的疼痛诊所。使用描述性统计分析了回复（n = 137，30%）。将本次调查的结果与华盛顿州对非医生执照针灸师的类似调查所公布的数据进行了比较。
进行针灸的医生使用多种风格，并强调神经解剖学的进针方法。大多数医生接受过法国能量针灸的培训。相比之下，大多数非医生执照针灸师采用传统中医的进针方法。尽管他们主要的针灸风格存在明显差异，但医生和非医生执照针灸师在选择治疗腰痛的穴位方面有高度相关性。除了针刺，医生还使用其他医学治疗方法，而非医生执照针灸师在针刺之外还采用多种传统中医辅助手段。
本研究提供了关于美国医生针灸执业性质以及它与非医生执照针灸师提供的针灸相比情况的新信息。有必要进行进一步研究以确定医生和非医生针灸师提供的不同类型针灸是否会影响慢性腰痛患者的治疗效果和费用。
