Zheng Zhen
School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Integr Med Res. 2014 Sep;3(3):103-110. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2014.06.002. Epub 2014 Jul 3.
Acupuncture was introduced to Australia as early as in the 1880s, and is a form of complementary and alternative medicine in this country. In the past 2 decades since the 1990s, acupuncture has experienced a rapid growth. Today, nearly 4000 acupuncturists are registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. "Acupuncturist," "Oriental medicine practitioner," and "Chinese medicine practitioners" are protected titles for registered acupuncturists. A bachelor's degree of 4 years in related fields is the minimal requirement for registration in Australia. Three public universities and three major private colleges offer nine undergraduate and three postgraduate programs that are approved by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Those three universities also offer Master-degree and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Acupuncture is well accepted by the Australians, with 10% having received this treatment and 80% general medical practitioners referring their patients to acupuncture service. All private health insurance schemes provide rebates to patients receiving acupuncture treatment, and third-party payment is also available in six of eight Australian states and territories. Research output in acupuncture has increased greatly since 2000. A majority of research focuses on acupuncture and Tai Chi as treatment modalities, and mainly investigates their mechanism of action, associated pain, and gynecological and respiratory conditions. The future direction of acupuncture in Australia is to introduce this medicine in hospitals and gain access to the medical benefit scheme so that acupuncture can be accessed by a wider community, in particular those who come from a disadvantaged background. In conclusion, improved education, regulation, and research of acupuncture in Australia put this country in a leading position among Western countries with respect to acupuncture services.
针灸早在19世纪80年代就传入了澳大利亚，在该国是补充和替代医学的一种形式。自20世纪90年代以来的过去20年里，针灸经历了快速发展。如今，近4000名针灸师在澳大利亚中医委员会注册。“针灸师”“东方医学从业者”和“中医从业者”是注册针灸师的受保护头衔。在澳大利亚注册的最低要求是拥有相关领域4年的本科学位。三所公立大学和三所主要的私立学院提供九个本科课程和三个研究生课程，这些课程均获得澳大利亚中医委员会的批准。这三所大学还提供硕士学位和博士学位课程。针灸很受澳大利亚人欢迎，10%的人接受过这种治疗，80%的普通医生会将患者转介到针灸服务机构。所有私人健康保险计划都为接受针灸治疗的患者提供回扣，并且在澳大利亚八个州和领地中的六个，第三方支付也可行。自2000年以来，针灸方面的研究成果大幅增加。大多数研究集中在将针灸和太极拳作为治疗方式，主要研究它们的作用机制、相关疼痛以及妇科和呼吸疾病。澳大利亚针灸的未来方向是将这种医学引入医院并纳入医疗福利计划，以便更广泛的人群，特别是那些来自弱势背景的人能够接受针灸治疗。总之，澳大利亚在针灸教育、监管和研究方面的改进使其在西方国家中在针灸服务方面处于领先地位。
