Conditions We Treat – Bespoke Medicine Herbal Apothecary

Conditions We Treat

We can’t list them anymore, and here’s why…

In the intricate landscape of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, practitioners like Marie Hopkinson face notable challenges due to the stringent regulations imposed by the Chinese Medicine Board Australia (CMBA) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). These restrictions, aiming to control information shared about treated conditions, have inadvertently created hurdles for practitioners and made it challenging to openly discuss their expertise in advertising.

The Dilemma of Silence

The guidelines established by CMBA and AHPRA, though designed to maintain ethical standards, have led to a noticeable absence of explicitly listed conditions on practitioners’ websites. This imposed silence might be hindering the transparent communication of practitioners’ capabilities and experiences.

Essentially the guidelines on advertising conditions treated by registered practitioners require that ‘Sufficent Evidence’ be presented with each claim that a condition may be helped or improved in any way. The problem is that currently the CMBA’s requirement of ‘sufficient evidence’ is that of a western medicine nature – i.e. peer reviewed studies.

Evidence comes in many forms, and while in biomedicine double-blind placebo controlled studies are considered the highest form of evidence, the true nature of Chinese medicine does not. In fact it’s whole system is based on a different form of evidence called ‘Empirical Evidence’ – that is through the observation and experimentation in clinical practice, and over time leading to long lasting, continuous use. Empirical evidence relies highly on the five senses.

Secondly the individual approach that Chinese medicine practitioners are supposed to take would not be able to be properly replicated in such a study… so its no wonder the outcomes for many complex diseases or conditions come out that acupuncture or herbal medicine was not effective (according to the study).

Thirdly a lack of ‘sufficient evidence’ comes from the lack of funding to do the research in the first place. There is no massive payout like there is in ‘big pharma’ to research the effectiveness of conditions treated by individual practitioners, most of whom are in private practice.

These are the main reasons that ‘sufficent evidence’ to advertise acording to the CMBA requirements does not exist for so many commonly seen conditions in my practice over the past 20+ years.

There are several conditions that there is ‘sufficient evidence’ for a claim to be made by Chinese medicine practitioners in their advertising and these relate to Knee osteoarthritis pain, chronic low back pain, Headache (chronic tension-type and chronic episodic) Migraine prophylaxis (that means prevention of migraines), Allergic rhinitis (seasonal and perennial/persistent), Post-operative pain (Pain after surgery), Post-operative nausea and vomiting, and nausea in chemotherapy.

We can say that the evidence shows a positive effect for the use of acupuncture in these conditions.

The references for these are listed below.

However, my practice does not revolve around providing modern research-based treatment protocols. In fact the herbal medicine used for each patient is only ever using an individual pulse-based approach to using Han-dynasty formulas with very little and specific modifications. THe Han dynasty was over 2000 years ago, so all the formulas I use have been in clinical practice for over 2000 years. My approach to acupuncture is similar, and definatley individualised – which is why a patients treatment might change or vary slightly each time they attend their appointment. Acupuncture is able to treat your body as it changes rather than give a ‘one size fits every disease’ approach that would be required in a research study.

Despite my extensive 20+ year successful private practice, where I sees 20-30 patients on average weekly, I now find myself restrained from openly discussing on my website or on social media, the myriad of conditions I have successfully treated over the years.

An Industry Impacted

The implications of these restrictions extend beyond individual practitioners like myself. They create an environment where the potential of traditional Chinese medicine is muted, limiting the industry’s ability to showcase its effectiveness in addressing various health concerns.

I worry for the future of our profession, especially acknowledging how difficult it is for emerging practitioners and new graduates. As a lecturer who has trained Chinese medicine practitioners since 2008, I feel concerned about how difficult it is to establish a practice with these gagging guidelines for new acupuncturists. A

A seasoned herbalist and acupuncturist myself, I recognise the success of my business was easier when I started there was no registrtation and no guidelines. As we emerge into a more and more digital world, where patients and potential patients look up on google “Acupuncture for (insert condition here” we are left unable to answer their questions, and these people may easily end up not knowing that acupuncture or herbal medicine could have helped them.

I continue to navigate these challenges while striving to provide quality care to my patients. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions imposed, my website can no longer serve as a comprehensive resource for individuals seeking information about conditions I can address.

Your Right to Know

Recognizing the importance of transparency in healthcare, we believe in empowering individuals to make informed decisions. If you’re curious about how Chinese Medicine could benefit you, we encourage you to initiate a discovery call with myself here. In this private and confidential conversation, you can openly discuss your health concerns and explore potential avenues for holistic treatment.

I practice a range of traditional Chinese medicine modalities, including herbs, acupuncture, cupping, and moxibustion. While the restrictions may limit explicit discussions about treated conditions, I remain dedicated to offering personalized and effective care to my patients, and do my best to provide educational resources to my patients through my YouTube channel, Chinese Medicine Podcast.

For a deeper understanding of my expertise, qualifications you can explore my profile here. Uncover the intricacies of my diagnostic methods, such as pulse diagnosis, here.

REFERENCES:

Chronic Low Back Pain:

Biotext. Alternative therapies and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold and White Card arrangements. In: Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, editor: Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs; 2010.

Hempel S, Taylor SL, Solloway MR, Miake-Lye IM, Beroes JM, Shanman R, et al. VA Evidence-based Synthesis Program Reports. Evidence Map of Acupuncture. Washington (DC): Department of Veterans Affairs; 2014.

Chou R, Deyo R, Friedly J, Skelly A, Hashimoto R, Weimer M, et al. AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2016.

Lam M, Galvin R, Curry P. Effectiveness of acupuncture for nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Nov 15;38(24):2124-38.

Lee JH, Choi TY, Lee MS, Lee H, Shin BC, Lee H. Acupuncture for acute low back pain: a systematic review. Clin J Pain. 2013 Feb;29(2):172-85.

Wellington J. Noninvasive and alternative management of chronic low back pain (efficacy and outcomes). Neuromodulation. 2014 Oct;17 Suppl 2:24-30.

Liu L, Skinner M, McDonough S, Mabire L, Baxter GD. Acupuncture for low back pain: an overview of
systematic reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:328196.

Andronis L, Kinghorn P, Qiao S, Whitehurst DG, Durrell S, McLeod H. Cost-Effectiveness of Non-Invasive and Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Low Back Pain: a Systematic Literature Review. Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2016 Aug 22.

Taylor P, Pezzullo L, Grant SJ, Bensoussan A. Cost-effectiveness of Acupuncture for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain. Pain Pract. 2014 Sep;14(7):599-606.

AndrezaMendonçaaLeonardoMacieladMauricioPoderoso NetoaPaula MicheleLeiteaCarla CarolinaAlvesbHilda Carolinade JesusbLucasVasconcelosaJersicaSantosbJosimariDeSantanac,Effect of acupuncture in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: a blind randomized clinical trial, Revista Internacional de Acupuntura
Volume 16, Issue 3, July–September 2022, 100186

Caroline de Castro Moura, Erika de Cássia Lopes Chaves, Denismar Alves Nogueira, Denise Hollanda Iunes, Hérica Pinheiro Corrêa, Gabriela Aparecida Pereira, Higor Magalhães Silvano, Cissa Azevedo, Tamara Goncalves Rezende Macieira, Tânia Couto Machado Chianca,
Effects of ear acupuncture combined with cupping therapy on severity and threshold of chronic back pain and physical disability: A randomized clinical trial,
Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine,
Volume 12, Issue 2, 2022,

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015; 2015: 328196.
Published online 2015 Mar 4. doi: 10.1155/2015/328196
PMCID: PMC4364128, PMID: 25821485
Acupuncture for Low Back Pain: An Overview of Systematic Reviews
Lizhou Liu, 1 , * Margot Skinner, 1 Suzanne McDonough, 2 Leon Mabire, 1 and George David Baxter 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4364128/

HEADACHE / MIGRAINE:

Migraine Prophalaxis (prevention)

Da Silva AN. Acupuncture for migraine prevention. Headache. 2015 Mar;55(3):470-3.

Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, Fei Y, Mehring M, Vertosick EA, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic
migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016(6):Cd001218.

Yang Y, Que Q, Ye X, Zheng G. Verum versus sham manual acupuncture for migraine: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Acupunct Med. 2016 Apr;34(2):76-83

Headache:

Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, Fei Y, Mehring M, Shin BC, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;4:Cd007587.

Coeytaux RR, Befus D. Role of Acupuncture in the Treatment or Prevention of Migraine, Tension-Type
Headache, or Chronic Headache Disorders. Headache. 2016 Jul;56(7):1238-40

Knee Osteoarthritis Pain

Biotext. Alternative therapies and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold and White Card arrangements. In:
Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, editor: Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs; 2010.

Corbett MS, Rice SJ, Madurasinghe V, Slack R, Fayter DA, Harden M, et al. Acupuncture and other physical treatments for the relief of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: network meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep;21(9):1290-8.

Manyanga T, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, et al. Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:312

Allergic rhinitis (seasonal and perennial/persistent)

Feng S, Han M, Fan Y, Yang G, Liao Z, Liao W, et al. Acupuncture for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a
systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2015 Jan-Feb;29(1):57-62.

Taw MB, Reddy WD, Omole FS, Seidman MD. Acupuncture and allergic rhinitis. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Jun;23(3):216-20.

Seidman MD, Gurgel RK, Lin SY, Schwartz SR, Baroody FM, Bonner JR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: Allergic rhinitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Feb;152(1 Suppl):S1-43

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

McKeon C, Smith, C.A., Hardy, J. & Chang, E. Acupunctrue and acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting : a systematic review. Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. 2013;8(1):2-17

Garcia MK, McQuade J, Lee R, Haddad R, Spano M, Cohen L. Acupuncture for symptom management in cancer care: an update. Curr Oncol Rep. 2014 Dec;16(12):418

Post-operative nausea and vomiting

Lee A, Chan SK, Fan LT. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015(11):Cd003281.

Cheong KB, Zhang JP, Huang Y, Zhang ZJ. The effectiveness of acupuncture in prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting–a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. 2013;8(12):e82474

Post-operative pain

Wu MS, Chen KH, Chen IF, Huang SK, Tzeng PC, Yeh ML, et al. The Efficacy of Acupuncture in Post-Operative Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE. 2016;11(3):e0150367.

Cho YH, Kim CK, Heo KH, Lee MS, Ha IH, Son DW, et al. Acupuncture for acute postoperative pain after back surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pain Pract. 2015
Mar;15(3):279-91.

Barlow T, Downham C, Barlow D. The effect of complementary therapies on post-operative pain control in ambulatory knee surgery: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2013 Oct;21(5):529-34.

Chen CC, Yang CC, Hu CC, Shih HN, Chang YH, Hsieh PH. Acupuncture for pain relief after total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015 Jan-Feb;40(1):31-6.