Acupuncture
has been used to treat many conditions in China and other Asian countries for a
very long time. Acupuncture is a safe and tolerated modality and accounts for approximately
40% of all medical treatment in China and is one of the most commonly sought
alternative medical treatments in Western countries. Although the quality of
acupuncture needles used worldwide is high it needs to be improved to avoid
many potential problems such as discomfort and pain.
Recently
Professor Xie and colleagues in Australia investigated the qualities of sterilised
single-use stainless steel acupuncture needles from two of the most popular
brands used worldwide. They used scanning electron microscope to check the
surface conditions and various other physical properties of chosen needles.
They
reported that “The scanning electron microscope images revealed significant
surface irregularities and inconsistencies at the needle tips, especially for
needles from one of the two brands. Metallic lumps and small, loosely attached
pieces of material were observed on the surfaces of some needles. Some of the
lumps and pieces of material seen on the needle surfaces disappeared after the acupuncture
manipulation”.
The authors
urge acupuncture manufactures to review and improve their quality control
procedures for the fabrications of needles. Acupuncture needles with better quality
should reduce pain and discomfort and improve safety standards.
Reference:
Xie YM et al., Examination of surface conditions
and other physical properties of commonly used stainless steel acupuncture
needles. Acupunct Med 2014;32:146-154 doi:10.1136/acupmed-2013-010472. http://aim.bmj.com/content/32/2/146
No comments:
Post a Comment