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Research examines acupuncture needle quality

Date:

February 13, 2014

Source:

RMIT University

Summary:

The quality of needles used in acupuncture worldwide is high but needs to be universally improved to increase safety and avoid potential problems such as pain and allergic reactions, researchers have found.

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Comparison of surface conditions before and after acupuncture manipulation for three H needles (magnification 5000×).

Credit: Image courtesy of RMIT University

[Click to enlarge image]

The quality of needles used in acupuncture worldwide is high but needs to be universally improved to increase safety and avoid potential problems such as pain and allergic reactions, RMIT University researchers have found.

The researchers looked at surface conditions and other physical properties of the two most commonly used stainless steel acupuncture needle brands.

The study, published in Acupuncture in Medicine, found that although manufacturing processes have improved, surface irregularities and bent needle tips have not been entirely eliminated.

Lead investigator Professor Mike Xie, Director of the Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials at RMIT, said acupuncture was a safe treatment overall but the research showed it could be made even safer.

"In China, Chinese medicine including acupuncture, accounts for 40 per cent of all medical treatment, while in Western countries, acupuncture is one of the most frequently used complementary therapies," he said.

"Our findings show that acupuncture needle manufacturers should review and improve their quality control procedures for the fabrication of needles.

"In particular, needle tips should be properly formed, sharpened and cleansed.

"Extensive research on acupuncture has demonstrated its safety and benefit for a range of conditions. But more needs to be done to enhance the comfort and safety of patients undergoing acupuncture treatment worldwide."

China, Japan and Korea are the main suppliers of acupuncture needles, with China providing up to 90 per cent of the world's acupuncture needles.

In the study, scanning electron microscope images were taken of 10 randomly chosen needles from each brand, with further images taken after each needle underwent a standard manipulation -- the equivalent of using them on human tissue -- with an acupuncture needling practice gel.

The images revealed significant surface irregularities and inconsistencies at the needle tips, particularly in needles from one of the brands.

Metallic lumps and small, loosely attached pieces of material were observed on the surfaces of some needles. Some of these fragments disappeared after the acupuncture manipulation.

Co-author Professor Charlie Xue, Director of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Program in the Health Innovations Research Institute and Head of the School of Health Sciences at RMIT, said the metallic residue could be deposited in human tissues, causing discomfort and potentially allergic reactions such as dermatitis.

"While acupuncture needle induced dermatitis has been extremely rare, it is important to minimise the potential for such reaction through further improvement of the needles used in human practice," Professor Xue said.

"Malformed needle tips can cause problems including bleeding, bruising, or strong pain during needling, which are more commonly reported following acupuncture treatment.

"An off-centre needle tip could result in the needle altering its direction during insertion and manipulation, consequently damaging adjacent tissues.

"While none of these potential problems would result in serious or long-term injury, patient experience and safety are paramount and the quality of acupuncture needles must be more rigorously improved."

The researchers suggested the small metallic pieces found on the needle surfaces were most likely from the grinding and polishing processes during the manufacture of the needles. These processes would also generate electrostatic forces that would attract tiny metal filings to the needle surfaces. The metallic pieces should have been removed from the needles if adequate cleansing processes had been carried out, the study found.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by RMIT University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Y. M. Xie, S. Xu, C. S. Zhang, C. C. Xue. Examination of surface conditions and other physical properties of commonly used stainless steel acupuncture needles. Acupuncture in Medicine, 2014; DOI: 10.1136/acupmed-2013-010472

via Research examines acupuncture needle quality -- ScienceDaily.

Getaway Ignite Introduces “Destination Learning” Event Series for Entrepreneurs and Startups

Christian Walter News, PR February 23rd, 2014 0 Comments 80 views

Last year Project Getaway held their first Entrepreneurs retreat on Koh Tao. This year the team is back and is launching Getaway Ignite, a series of topic-specific week-long events that teach entrepreneurs and startups business skills, in March and April: Growth Hacking for Startups with Jacqueline Biggs and Fundraising for Startups with Steffen Thilsted.

Getaway Ignite was founded by the Tom Huges, former co-host of the wildly popular Project Getaway series. Through working with Project Getaway, Tom recognized a demand for a separate offering— a shorter-term “destination learning” immersion experience that was focused on education and networking.

“We realized that entrepreneurs and start-ups need community, continuing education, and a taste of learning in paradise—and that often, they could only get away for a short periods time.” Says Huges. “So we created shorter stays that bring people together and teach them invaluable skills with measurable results. Plus, they get a rockstar luxury experience with like-minded people in one of the world’s most incredible locations: Bali.”

Getaway Ignite’s March event, Growth Hacking for Startups, with internationally best-selling author and agency owner Jacqueline Biggs, is scheduled to run from the 24th through the 30th of March. In April, Fundraising for Startups, with Angel Investor and Fundraising Consultant Steffen Thilsted will run from the 1st through the 7th. Spots are limited.

via Getaway Ignite Introduces “Destination Learning” Event Series for Entrepreneurs and Startups | BangkokStartup.

In the year in which Misao Okawa was born in Osaka, Queen Victoria was still on the British throne, the Spanish American War was raging and Horatio Kitchener triumphed in the Battle of Omdurman. The daughter of a kimono-maker from Japan’s second city, Okawa assumed the title of the oldest person in the world after the death of 116-year-old Jireomon Kimura in June 2013.

Experts say it is no coincidence that both record-holders are from Japan, which was home to 54,397 centenarians on the last Respect for the Aged national holiday in September - including 282 super-centenarians, who have achieved the ripe old age of 110.Misao Okawa pictured with her older sister, circa 1900.“Mrs Okawa eats three large meals a day and makes sure that she sleeps eight hours a night,” said Tomohito Okada, the head of the Kurenai retirement home where she has lived for the last 18 years.

“She insists that her favourite meal is sushi, particularly mackerel on vinegar-steamed rice, and she has it at least once every month,” he said.Asked about the happiest moments of a life that has now spanned three centuries, Okawa unhesitatingly recalls her marriage in 1919 to Yukio Okawa and the birth of their three children. Her surviving son and daughter have clearly inherited her genes and are now aged 94 and 92. She also has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.Equally, she says the saddest time of her life was the death of her husband in June 1931 - an almost unthinkable 83 years ago.The average lifespan for a Japanese woman is now 85.9 years, with women also accounting for 87 percent of the nation’s centenarians.

A Japanese man can expect to reach 79.6 years old.Experts put Japanese longevity down to the nation’s comprehensive healthcare system, the support of the community, encouragement to remain physically active until they are quite elderly, a sense of being part of a family and a healthy diet that has traditionally been heavy in fish, rice, vegetables and fruit.

Additional research has suggested that people who were in middle-age during the years of food shortages during the Second World War have subsequently enjoyed better long-term health than people who never had to go without.But Yasuyuki Gondo, an associate professor at Osaka University who specialises in geriatric psychology, says there is much more to longevity than merely a good diet and advanced medical care.“When we surveyed centenarians, we found that the majority have enjoyed good mental health throughout their lives and have developed psychological adaptations to their situations as they have got older,” he told The Telegraph. Professor Gondo is one of a number of scholars who have studied Okawa and other centenarians as they try to pin down more traits that identify those of us who will live the longest.

Those studies suggest that people with a strong will, are outgoing and a sense of curiosity live longer than average. Okawa underlined the determined side of her character after suffering a fall at the age of 102 in which she broke her leg. After she returned to the nursing home from a stay in hospital, the staff found her doing leg squats as she held on to a hand rail in the hall.When asked what she was doing, Okawa replied that she was making sure her body did not get out of shape.On her birthday, TV crews and national media have been invited to the nursing home to record the birthday festivities.“We will be having a cake, of course,” said Okada. “But we will only be having three candles, one for each figure of her 116 years, because that many candles could be dangerous.”The Telegraph, London

via World's oldest person celebrates her 116th birthday: 'Eat and sleep and you will live a long time'.

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