Warning on unlicensed acupuncture clinics

BANGKOK: -- An acupuncture expert yesterday warned patients to be careful and selective when choosing physicians and treatment outlets as some are substandard and not yet licensed by health authorities.

Varayut Stitstian, president of the Thai Acupuncture Medical Association, said acupuncture was increasingly popular here, as it can help treat persistent illnesses that modern medicine cannot heal, such as allergies, migraines, and diabetes.

However, many private acupuncture clinics provided substandard services, and people should beware. Few patients seemed aware of their rights.

``Each acupuncture therapist must be certified by the Public Health Ministry. People without certificates are illegal. They can be unskilled and may cause harm to patients,'' he said.

Modern physicians who want to offer acupuncture therapy must go through intensive training to get a certificate from the Medical Council. However, the council still does not allow physicians to use pure acupuncture in treatment. Instead, they must combine acupuncture with modern medicine.

Alternative physicians such as Chinese acupuncture therapists, meanwhile, are to be licensed by the Medical Registration Division and have their licences renewed every two years.

These physicians are not allowed to admit patients to their clinics.

Dr Varayut also urged patients to observe the cleanliness and standard of equipment used in therapy.

``Standard beds must be available. It's not right for a clinic to get patients to lie on the floor or mats. The place should have a clean environment, needles must be cleaned and sterile.

``If electrical stimulation is applied, it must be carefully handled. Clinics should also have trained assistants to help doctors,'' he said.

He added acupuncture can be dangerous to women in early pregnancy, and electrical stimulation can affect people with heart disease.

Dr Varayut urged patients to beware of clinics that allow nurses to perform acupuncture as nurses are not yet certified by the Public Health Ministry for this kind of therapy. Some clinics, he said, even lure customers with claims that acupuncture can increase their height.

``That's not true. Although you feel your body is stretched after the treatment, that's only temporary because your muscles are stretched. People should be careful not to fall victim to such advertising,''said Dr Varayut.

Some clinics charged patients several thousand baht per treatment, which was too much.

The average price is around 300 baht per treatment in public hospitals up to 1,000 baht in private clinics.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-09

Varayut Stitstian, president of the Thai Acupuncture Medical Association, said acupuncture was increasingly popular here, as it can help treat persistent illnesses that modern medicine cannot heal, such as allergies, migraines, and diabetes.

Last Saturday, Boots Emporium branch had a Chinese-medicine doctor standing by to take customers' pulses (i.e. the six pulses used in acupuncture) and treat their ailments with very expensive Chinese medicine.

Warning on unlicensed acupuncture clinics

However, many private acupuncture clinics provided substandard services, and people should beware. Few patients seemed aware of their rights.

``Each acupuncture therapist must be certified by the Public Health Ministry. People without certificates are illegal. They can be unskilled and may cause harm to patients,'' he said.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-09

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure how the Public Health Ministry checked on the fake certificates.

OUCH!