AAMA Newsletter
Serving the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture
December 2000

Athletes benefit from medical acupuncture

AAMA member Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco, MD, was in Australia Sept. 10 to Oct. 1, providing 250 electroacupuncture treatments for about 40 members of the Canadian Track and Field Team, as well as for 17 athletes from the US, Bahamas, Jamaica and other countries.

Acupuncture was used in several dimensions: 1) for treatment of injuries; 2) for systemic regulation (i.e., to help with recovery from travelling and from training, for acute upper respiratory problems, or to help with stress management: sleeping, digestion, etc.), and 3) for performance enhancement (i.e., to maximize performance by improving biomechanics in events such as sprints and jumps). He worked with coaches and athletes to assess and improve biomechanics of athletes in these technical events).

This work was done in conjunction with Dr. Mark Scappaticci, a sports chiropractor from Ontario, Canada specializing in soft tissue treatment who provided manual inputs—either following acupuncture treatments or on their own when it was appropriate.

Immediately prior to events and between heats, athletes received only soft tissue input—not acupuncture. After events, acupuncture and massage were the main inputs.

In 1999, Drs. Claraco and Scappaticci provided the same kind of services for the Canadian Team and the other group of athletes at the World Track and Field Championships in Seville. In both instances, athletes were highly satisfied with the results of both interventions—whether provided consecutively or separately.

In March 2001, these physicians will be in Lisbon, Portugal, for the World Indoor Track and Field to provide the same services. Medical acupuncture integrated with other manual modalities is becoming the preferred standard of care for high-performance athletes.

Dr. Claraco hopes this information will encourage colleagues to integrate medical acupuncture with other manual modalities to treat sports injuries. The physician is director of the course, Acupuncture for Sports Injuries at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, as well as codirector of McMaster Medical Acupuncture Program.

Information about McMaster’s acupuncture courses can be obtained at its website: acupuncturecourses.com or by calling course director Valerie Cannon (905/521-2100, ext. 75175).

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AAMA Chapter News

Arizona

This Chapter meets at 9 am the second Saturday of each month in Dr. Dave Bryman’s office, Ahwatukee FamilyCare, 12020 Warner Road at the apex of the Warner-Elliott loop in Scottsdale.

Colorado

Rocky Mountain AAMA Chapter held a successful Denver Medical Acupuncture Conference on Oct. 14. Dexter Levy, MD, presented Japanese Extrameridian Vessel Diagnosis and Treatment, which was thoroughly enjoyed by participants. Encouraged by this presentation, members are planning another Denver conference, Acupuncture in Cancer Patients and Other Immune Disorders, in spring 2001.

New Jersey

This Chapter has launched its website: AAMANJ.org. Members are interested in working with the national organization to enhance teaching/learning website technology so courses of interest to the New Jersey membership of 54 can access viable lectures and obtain CME credit. The Chapter’s next meeting will be on a Wednesday night (date TBA) in late-April.

Send your Chapter news to: bdortberg@aol.com.

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Poster contest deadline extended

The deadline has been extended until Jan. 31, 2001 for members to submit abstracts of research projects or case reports for consideration for presentation as a Poster at AAMA’s 13th Annual Symposium in New Orleans, March 23-25, 2001.

Abstracts should be a 200-250 word description of the research project and findings or be a summary of the case, treatment approach and outcomes. They will be reviewed for presentation by the Poster Committee, chaired by Richard Niemtzow, MD. Authors of Abstracts selected by the Committee will be invited to present their work in Poster format at the Symposium. Poster presenters will get 50% off their Symposium registration fee.

Posters will be presented Friday afternoon, March 23, 2001 at the Wine and Cheese Reception and remain up the next day. Poster presenters will be invited to submit their abstracts for publication in the journal, Medical Acupuncture.

Abstracts should be submitted to Dr. Niemtzow, c/o AAMA offices, no later than Jan. 31, 2001 to be considered for Poster presentation. You may also submit the abstract via e-mail, in Microsoft Word or text format, to the Academy c/o jdowden@prodigy.net. We will forward all abstracts on to Dr. Niemtzow and his Committee. The final announcement of which abstracts are selected will be made by late February.

Contact AAMA Executive Administrator James Dowden (323/937-5514) for further information.

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