Acupuncture Poll's question for the month of April 2001 was:
"What percentage of your patients are above the age of 65?"
Results are as follows:
These results are based upon responses from 100 people. Here is a sample of the comments made by those who took the survey and how they voted:
50% or greater: More than 50% of my patients are >70 years old. Most of them are on 10-20 Rx drugs per day! I am not having great results with pain relief due to the fact that most are overweight, on many drugs (including coumadin), and have pacemakers. Also, most have never tried acupuncture before, and the mindset is not conducive to healing in a holistic manner. They are also set in the old ways of cooking food ...grilling, frying, etc., and will not change. On the positive side, a few of my older patients with chronic pain have had acupuncture for 15-20 yrs and are not on Rx. These patients always get relief after treatment. Long story short: the younger the patient, the better the results of the treatment. Hope this was not too long a response, I could say a lot more.
50% or greater: I see a lot of retired folks and see a special market here. There is much use of drugs on a regular basis, and complications. I see a growing area that is not really dealt with much in acupuncture schools and conferences: Oriental medicine and the aging population.
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The luo vessels are important in the treatment of mental health issues. They are conduits of “ying qi”: blood and fluids. We believe that the shen is “housed” in the heart and circulated through the blood, making a channel system that “conducts” ying qi ideal for treatment of the mind and emotions.
As our health care ecosystem continues to evolve, I’ve found an increased emphasis being placed on an integrative approach to patient care. As an acupuncturist, you are an essential part of this collaborative system and health care team, cooperating with a range of other professionals including medical doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, and others.
