Acupuncture risks very minimal if practitioner is certified – local specialist
Published:Friday | April 6, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Oriental medicine practitioner and acupuncture specialist, Dr Tracey Ann Brown, believes that while the risks associated with the ancient Chinese practice are minimal, the relevant authorities should put in place regulations to govern the use of complementary and alternative medicine in Jamaica.
Just last month, two Jamaican doctors living in the Cayman Islands had to render emergency treatment to save the life of a Caymanian, whose lungs were punctured while receiving acupuncture treatment.
The National Health Service in England has also highlighted several cases of patients getting punctured lungs, while receiving acupuncture treatment.
But Dr Brown said that there were ways to safeguard against this and other risks associated with the treatment. It is for this reason that she is advising persons to utilise the services of a trained, certified professional if they are considering using acupuncture to deal with medical challenges.
"Sometimes, even with the best care, some things will happen, as with any kind of medical procedure; but if you are dealing with a trained certified practitioner, you are not likely to have certain concerns," she said.
REGULATION IS IMPORTANT
Dr Brown has been practising acupuncture since 2003 and started the Acupuncture Centre of Jamaica last year. She said she received extensive training for four years in the United States, in order to equip herself with the knowledge and skills to provide effective treatment to patients.
The acupuncture specialist had served on a Ministry of Health Advisory Committee, which, among other things, looked at how to introduce legislation to regulate and monitor complementary and alternative medicine.
"Regulation is important. It is meant to protect the public," she said.
Dr Brown believes alternative and complementary medicine is very useful. Many of her patients, for example, had suffered for years with chronic conditions and were only able to get any relief after receiving acupuncture. Most come to her after traditional options had failed.
"I would disagree that the risks are great, because the risks are very low. The issue really is if you find somebody who didn't do proper training," she said.
"For example, if you look at a MD or a surgeon, a surgeon goes into your body and cuts your body and you would consider that great risks, but the risks are not as great if the person was trained, and is properly trained."