Acupuncture Awareness Week is supported by the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and aims to inform and educate the general public about the practice of traditional acupuncture. This year, the week will be celebrated from March 11th – 17th.
With 2.3 million acupuncture treatments carried out each year, traditional acupuncture is one of the most popular complementary therapies practised in the UK.
This year’s theme is ‘Acupuncture Treatment for Digestive Disorders’ and the week is an excellent opportunity for the acupuncture community to highlight the benefits of traditional acupuncture for these disorders. Diseases of the digestive system ranked among the most common acute illnesses for in patients in UK hospitals and many people are unaware of how acupuncture can help the diseases.
How can acupuncture help?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Research has shown that acupuncture may work by modulating the serotonin pathway and recent data has confirmed the effectiveness of acupuncture, with clinically and statistically significant results in controlling the symptoms of IBS. (Zhang, 2014)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
It is thought that at least 300,000 people are living with IBD in the UK. It has been revealed that using acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for IBD is more effective than using sulfasalazine drugs. One case study on 220 patients showed that acupuncture was 84.6% more effective, compared to conventional medicine. (Zhou & Jin, 2008)
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD)
Research has shown that adding acupuncture to treatment for GORD is more effective than the using conventional medicine. The most important factor in treating acid reflux is a muscle called the lower Oesophageal sphincter (LOS). Studies have shown that electro-acupuncture had a significant effect in inhibiting LOS relaxation. (Zou et al, 2005)
How can you raise awareness for acupuncture?
Multi-bed Clinics
A great way to raise awareness for acupuncture and get to know your local community is to hold a multi-bed clinic. By hosting multi-bed clinics, it allows new patients to try out acupuncture in a more informal and relaxed manner to reduce any fears they may have. It also gives practitioners a chance to interact with potential new patients and explain what acupuncture is and how it works to make the patient feel more comfortable and informed without time constraints.
Social Media
If you are unable to hold a multi-bed clinic, social media is an easy and effective way to raise awareness for acupuncture. 39 million people in the UK use social media, creating a huge platform for potential new customers. By tweeting regularly or posting on Facebook, you are more likely to attract the general public who have not tried acupuncture before. Social media is one of the most cost-efficient marketing methods used to increase your brand awareness meaning you are not only promoting acupuncture but also yourself and your business. Social media is also a great way to share any vouchers or discounts you may be offering without having to pay for marketing material.
Phoenix Infographic
To help raise awareness, we have created our own infographic on how acupuncture can help your patients. It is FREE to download and allows you to educate patients by using it in your clinic or sharing it on social media. The infographic is clear, concise and colourful and is 30 times more likely to be read than a text article.
You can download the free infographic here.
To celebrate Acupuncture Awareness Week, we will be giving away 10 free boxes of acupuncture needles. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is spend £100 or more from March 11th to 17th to be entered into a prize draw.
If you would like to know more about how acupuncture can help or what acupuncture needles we supply, please contact us on 01245 350822 or at info@phoenixmd.co.uk and we will be happy to help.
What do you think?