2025 Conference

MEMBER SYMPOSIA #4-6

Saturday, April 5, 2025 (9:15am - 10:45am)

Member Symposium #4: Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain: Research, Advocacy and Policy Questions

Presenters: Sivarama Prasad Vinjamury MD (Ayu), DACM, MPH; Louis A. Kazal, Jr., MD; James M. Whedon, DC, MS

The organizing theme of this submission is the use of acupuncture as a treatment for chronic low back pain (cLBP). Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective approach to the management of cLBP, but the quality and value of acupuncture services for specific populations with cLBP is largely unknown, and the equitable dissemination and implementation of acupuncture services has yet to be achieved. Important questions remain to be answered through research, advocacy efforts and health policy issues need to be addressed before acupuncture can become fully established as a treatment option with a significant and equitable impact on U.S. population health. The proposed symposium is particularly timely given the January 2020 decision by CMS to allow reimbursement for acupuncture under Medicare, as well as current efforts to further improve existing policies related to the acupuncture services and practice. This symposium will provide an opportunity for clinicians, researchers and policy makers to learn from each other, explore the issues, and propose action steps.

The first presentation will provide a synopsis of the current status of research evidence for the effectiveness and value of various approaches to acupuncture for relieving pain, improving function, and enhancing patient-centered outcomes in specific populations with cLBP. The information provided is expected to be highly applicable to clinical practice.  The third presentation will summarize the objectives, approaches, and expected outcomes of a research project newly funded by the NIH. The research will examine the impact of the decision to allow acupuncture for cLBP under Medicare, quantity the supply and availability of acupuncturists for Medicare beneficiaries and explore attitudes and beliefs of both patients and clinicians regarding the provision of acupuncture under Medicare.  This presentation is intended to open a dialogue between the project investigators and acupuncture practitioners.

Member Symposium #5: Central and Peripheral Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation

Presenters: Jiande Chen, PhD; Peijing Rong, MD; Vitaly Napadow, PhD; Braden Kuo; R. Sclocco; and Victor Pikov

The main objective of this symposium is to present high quality mechanistic research on transcutaneous electrical acupoint (both auricular and body points) stimulation and address how the presented research can benefit practitioners.    In the symposium, we will present methods, applications and mechanisms of needleless transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) for treating various diseases. The needless TEA methods are complementary to acupuncture and electroacupuncture with possibly shared mechanisms of action. The TEA methods to be discussed in this symposium will include TEA via body acupuncture points, such as ST36 and auricular acupuncture points coinciding with auricular vagal nerve. Since both of these two TEA methods are largely mediated via the autonomic nerve, we will also introduce autonomic electrical stimulation, including vagal nerve stimulation and sacral nerve stimulation.     In addition to clinical applications, the presentations in this symposium will emphasize central and peripheral mechanisms of TEA resulting from both clinical and preclinical research. We believe that the methodological, physiological and mechanistic findings to be presented in this symposium will benefit acupuncture practitioners.    Moreover, medical devices, especially wearable devices that may be used for electroacupuncture and TEA will also be presented and discussed.

The TEA methods are complementary to acupuncture and electroacupuncture. The mechanisms to be discussed may enhance our understanding of mechanisms involved in the clinical effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture.

Member Symposium #6: Scientific Evidence-Based Acupuncture Practice: What’s New?

Presenters: Xinyan Gao; Yongjun Chen; Zhifang Xu; Boyi Liu; Kun Liu

The symposium on “Scientific Evidence-Based Acupuncture Practice: What’s new?”, which was organized by the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, is set to illuminate the community with the latest groundbreaking researches and accomplishments in the scientific underpinnings of acupuncture. This event is poised to deepen our comprehension of acupuncture through intricate structure-functional relationships with animal experiments, whether in a state of health or disease. It will also shed light on how acupuncture operates at various levels, from the systemic to the organ-specific and even down to the molecular level.

Renowned experts in the field of acupuncture research, who have not only achieved remarkable milestones but have also graced the pages of the world's most prestigious journals with their published works, will be invited as speakers to share their pioneering advancements. They will delve into a range of pivotal topics, including but not limited to the autonomic rebalancing effects of acupuncture in the treatment of visceral disorders, anti-inflammatory properties and the neurobiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesic effect.

This symposium aims to be a beacon of enlightenment, offering a comprehensive exploration of acupuncture's potential to revolutionize clinical care. It will serve as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, fostering a deeper understanding of this ancient practice and its place in modern medicine. As we stand on the cusp of a new era in integrative healthcare, this symposium is poised to be a pivotal moment, bridging the gap between traditional wisdom and contemporary science.