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Fri Jun 12 08:32:30 BST 2009

We may want to be slow to totally scoff at some of these therapies.
I must admit I generally (still) do, but:

About 7 years ago I ended up doing an informal consult on an Egyptian (in
Cairo) with marked LV systolic dysfunction who had refused
revascularization.  Despite having some really good cardiologists and
cardiac surgeons in Egypt, somehow an "American opinion" was valued. I ended
up joining his family for dinner one night.

At that dinner I met a Japanese practitioner (who spoke no English) who was
present because the family had flown him to Egypt from japan to use a
"laying on of hands" therapy for a patient with ALS. He specialized in care
of neurological disorders and despite the language barrier, with
translation, we had an interesting conversation.  I think I still have his
business card somewhere. 
Now, I did NOT see the patient with ALS, nor a medical record to verify the
diagnosis.  However, the family was well off (to put it mildly) and the odds
are they had high end neurological evaluation.  (The cardiology evaluation
of my patient had been first class, the patient just made bad choices.)

The remarkable thing was that, after the "treatments" the previous 2 days,
the family agreed that the patient (who had reportedly not been out of bed
without a lot of assistance for > 1 year) got up and walked unassisted. Now
I understand placebo effect, but anyone (regardless of dx except perhaps
psyc dx) who has not been ambulating for a year suddenly doing so
independently is pretty remarkable, regardless of dx.

Since that time, I have spoken with MD acupuncturists, Korean and Japanese
traditional medicine practitioners (usually with a translator) and anyone
else I found with experience and/or knowledge in the area.  I have become
fairly convinced that there is far more to acupuncture than sticking needles
in the right places.  It appears to me that successful acupuncturists have
some ability to manipulate energy (?Chi? for lack of a better term), and the
use of a battery connected to the needles just doesn't make up for that
lack. This "life energy" what the Japanese practitioner told me he
manipulated with his hands. 

Interestingly, I have also been told that some people are "Chi sinks" - i.e.
can soak up a patient's energy and thus they feel worse after tx, not
better.  I met one MD who did at least a month in California learning
acupuncture, and had almost no positive responses, and some patients felt
worse.  He was indeed a competent physician, based on working in close
proximity daily for years. He abandoned the use of acupuncture. 

It would be really nice to get a better handle on this.  Just because most
of us can't sense, much less manipulate, this alleged energy doesn't mean it
doesn't exist and can't be of therapeutic value.

Lorick Fox, MPAS, PA-C
Gianaclis Support Complex
+20-3-448-2335 or +20-45-240-9450
Fax +20-45-243-1191
Mobile +20-18-230-4448

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