Acupuncture Course Development
As with most ALIED courses, the content of this course will be developed to meet the needs of the delegates. The Tutor will discuss with the course organiser what she/he requires to be covered. Then, at the course itself, the content will be adapted to the needs and abilities of the delegates.
Typical Acupuncture Course Content
Day One - Chronic pain management with Acupuncture
The first day is tailored to the treatment of Chronic Pain and Complex Pain using a clinical reasoning approach to the complexities of pain presentations. The course will emphasise the need to understand pain, to enable patients to understand the mechanisms taking place and to choose Acupuncture when and only if, appropriate to the pain intervention presenting.
Delegates will be required to read the pre course information supplied on clinical reasoning in Western Acupuncture and further references involving chronic pain will be
provided throughout the course. The day will cover the following pain pathologies:
- Nociceptive and Neutrogenic pain mechanisms
- Chronic pain states
- Central processing
- Sympathetically maintained pain
- Sympathetically independent pain
- Complex Regional Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Phantom Limb Pain
Learning Objectives
- Delegates will receive an overview of pain mechanisms following recent evidence based findings from IASP.
- Delegates will receive an overview of Acupuncture analgesia using a clinical reasoning model for different pain states
- Delegates will receive suggested protocols for each varying pain state in order to offer effective Acupuncture intervention at each stage of the patient presentation
- Delegates will receive information concerning inappropriate Acupuncture intervention for the more complex pain presentations
- Delegates will receive practical and clinical experience in applying different Acupuncture interventions using:
- Electro-Acupuncture
- Auricular Acupuncture
- Parasympathetic stimulation
- Sympathetic inhibition
- Segmental Inhibition and pain gate control
- Descending noxious inhibitory control
Learning Outcomes
Following the course delegates will have:
- Familiarity with recent legal changes to Acupuncture use
- An understanding of the physiological changes taking place within the Chronic Pain Patient
- An understanding of the bio-psychosocial model of chronic pain
- An understanding of the physiology of Acupuncture analgesia
- An understanding or relationships between parasympathetic and sympathetic interactions in chronic pain states.
- Appropriate clinical use of:
- Electro Acupuncture theory and practice
- Auricular Acupuncture and practice
- Segmental inhibitory Acupuncture practice
- Descending noxious inhibitory Control
- TCM approach to chronic dysfunction
Day Two - Clinical Reasoning
A one-day clinical reasoning approach to the management of Myofascial pain both in the acute and chronic stages, using trigger point deactivation and manual stretch will be presented. This course will concentrate on the Western approach to Acupuncture of
Myofascial pain.
Learning Objectives
Theoretical
- An understanding of the physiology of trigger point activity
- An understanding and application of these mechanisms in the physiology of acute and chronic pain
- Interpretation of the theoretical underpinning into evidence based practice.
- Safe practice
- Current Acupuncture legislation
Practical
- Lumbar Spine
- Cervical spine
- Shoulder
- The acquisition of effective trigger point release using non-invading techniques.
- Interpretation and clinical reasoning of trigger point release into clinical management.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will achieve:
- An understanding of the physiology and anatomical relevance of trigger point deactivation
- Safe effective needling skills for effective management of Myofascial pain
- A clear understanding of integrating TCM Acupuncture points with Western trigger point deactivation
- Clinical reasoning skills in Western trigger point management
Indicative Content
- Recent medico-legal aspects of Acupuncture
- Recent evidence of Acupuncture efficacy
- Theoretical presentation via power point presentation
- Clinical and practical application of point selection and Acupuncture needling
- Clinical reasoning and problem solving skills within action groups.
Acupuncture Course Dates & Venues
For dates and venues for this course, please see the Programme of Acupuncture Training Courses on the menu to the left.
For further information on Acupuncture Courses, please contact ALIED