I know, I know – Emergency Acupuncture? I have never heard of it or considered this an emergency treatment for ailments. What ailments can it really treat?
My initial thought in my mind was that of skepticism and whether there was even a place in “Emergency Medicine” for this treatment. The mere term of “Emergency Medicine” is treating a patient in a quick, efficient, and effective treatment. This must also be delivered in an emergent manner. Couple that with Acupuncture – “sticking needles in different spots?” I was curious to find out more and more importantly, does this have a place in my practice to benefit my patients?
The truth is, there are absolute true emergencies, where time is of the essence – i.e. acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), cerebrovascular accident (stroke), and others to name a few. However, most emergency room visits are considered more of an urgency rather than an emergency. Is there a need for Emergency Acupuncture? From my practice perspective – can acute neck or lower back pain episodes be treated with this method? This article was intriguing as I find myself wanting to learn more about I was about Acupuncture and Emergency Acupuncture.
We all want to triage the situation quickly, efficiently, and effectively but is there room for Acupuncture in this setting? Can a provider apply acupuncture needles and treatment methods in an urgent fashion? Is there Acupuncture on-call?
I had many questions about needed some answers. While most “Western” Medicine providers often disregard these “Eastern” Medicine treatments as a bunch of baloney, perhaps there is actually something to this?
Consider whether this treatment modality is something real and whether there is a place for this modality in Emergency Medicine. However, most spine surgeons and providers have multiple treatment methods up their sleeves but this may be something to consider for future patients.
What do you think?
