Editor's Note: This is the conclusion of a two-article series from Dr. Pourhassani on infertility and acupuncture practice. Article #1 appeared in the November 2022 digital issue.
Before I became a fellow of the Acupuncture and TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine (ABORM), I was a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and an integrative medicine collaborator at a large IVF center with four reproductive endocrinologists. My integrative infertility practice is mostly informed through continuing education the ASRM provides its members, and their journal: Fertility & Sterility.
Most of us (American acupuncturists) have been taught how to formulate a mission statement for our business in our master's/doctorate programs. However, we have not been advised how to formulate our ethical orientation as health care providers. (Do we need a semester of medical ethics added to our curriculum?)
Health Care Ethics
The Vermont Ethics Network defines health care ethics as follows:1
Health care ethics (aka "medical ethics" or "bioethics"), at its simplest, is a set of moral principles, beliefs and values that guide us in making choices about medical care. At the core of health care ethics is our sense of right and wrong and our beliefs about rights we possess and duties we owe others. Thinking carefully about the ethical aspects of health care decisions helps us make choices that are right, good, fair and just.
What is an acupuncturist's ethical responsibility when integrating with other medical providers? Many licensed acupuncturists in the United States have primary care privileges. Each state has its own regulations (e.g., California has educational requirements other states do not). As a primary care provider, you are not under supervision, have autonomy, and a responsibility toward the patient: to not harm and to keep them from harm.
The Ethics of Assisted Reproductive Technology
What is an acupuncturist to do when confronted with ethical questions regarding the integration of Chinese medicine with assisted reproductive technology (i.e., IVF, oocyte cryopreservation)? Most specialty boards have an ethics committee, which produces documents you can review for guidance.
If an IVF center invites an acupuncturist on a panel to promote egg freezing [oocyte cryopreservation – OC], for example, is this ethically permissible? The Ethics Committee of the ASRM has a document that may help you answer this question:2
Our ethical responsibilities in any given situation depend in part on the nature of the decision and in part on the roles we play. With more education and resources, we may be in a better position to serve the public. I highly recommend joining the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, or at least reading its Ethics Committee opinions if you are serving the infertile population, or those considering egg freezing.
Thank you for reading!
References
Over my almost 30 years in clinical practice, I have used Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang extensively for a wide array of clinical presentations ranging from chronic headaches to anxiety, insomnia, and prescription drug withdrawal symptoms if these situations fit the appropriate patterns – all with extremely positive clinical outcomes.
There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your patients may also benefit from curcumin for other reasons.
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Low back pain is defined as pain the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), and it can be acute or chronic, localized or radiating. It is a common ailment for adults in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence as high as 65-80%. Whether or not an MRI is available to provide definitive knowledge of a structural issue, acupuncture can be an effective treatment for low back pain.
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