Accuracy of acupuncture point location among first-year acupuncture students: A pilot study evaluating the impact of training and use of an adjustable ruler.

Godson, DR; Wardle, JL

Accuracy of acupuncture point location among first-year acupuncture students: A pilot study evaluating the impact of training and use of an adjustable ruler.

Godson, DR Wardle, JL

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Publisher:: SAGE Publications
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, 2021, 39, (2), pp. 126-134
Issue Date:: 2021-04

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Godson, DR
dc.contributor.author	Wardle, JL
dc.date.accessioned	2021-09-06T05:10:09Z
dc.date.available	2021-09-06T05:10:09Z
dc.date.issued	2021-04
dc.identifier.citation	Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, 2021, 39, (2), pp. 126-134
dc.identifier.issn	0964-5284
dc.identifier.issn	1759-9873
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150359
dc.description.abstract	<h4>Background</h4>The proportional method of acupuncture point location (APL) currently taught at Endeavor College of Natural Health and advocated by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) was found to be imprecise and/or inaccurate in previous student studies. The ruler and elastic methods of APL were identified as more accurate or precise than the proportional method of APL but were not well received by student participants. Use of an adjustable ruler may overcome barriers to uptake of the more accurate APL methods. This pilot study was the first to evaluate the comparative accuracy of the adjustable ruler and the proportional methods of APL in first-year students at a major Australian acupuncture training college.<h4>Methods</h4>After 10 weeks of in-class instruction in both proportional and adjustable ruler methods of APL, student participants (n = 14) attempted location of three acupuncture points (LI10, SP6 and ST38) on a volunteer using both APL methods of interest. A self-administered questionnaire and lecturer field notes elucidated attitudes to implementation of both APL methods.<h4>Results</h4>Points marked using the adjustable ruler were closer to the correct location than those marked using the proportional method across all three acupuncture points. Students and lecturers rated the adjustable ruler more highly than the proportional method for ease of learning and ease of use.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Encouraging results with the adjustable ruler method warrant further larger scale studies. Use of the adjustable ruler method of APL should be considered for use in point location training at educational institutions teaching traditional acupuncture.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	SAGE Publications
dc.relation.ispartof	Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/0964528420920302
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
dc.subject.classification	Complementary & Alternative Medicine
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Points
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Education
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Pilot Projects
dc.subject.mesh	Program Evaluation
dc.subject.mesh	Students
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Points
dc.subject.mesh	Pilot Projects
dc.subject.mesh	Program Evaluation
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture
dc.subject.mesh	Education
dc.subject.mesh	Students
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Points
dc.subject.mesh	Acupuncture Therapy
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Education
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Pilot Projects
dc.subject.mesh	Program Evaluation
dc.subject.mesh	Students
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.title	Accuracy of acupuncture point location among first-year acupuncture students: A pilot study evaluating the impact of training and use of an adjustable ruler.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	39
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-09-06T05:10:08Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	39
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Background

The proportional method of acupuncture point location (APL) currently taught at Endeavor College of Natural Health and advocated by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) was found to be imprecise and/or inaccurate in previous student studies. The ruler and elastic methods of APL were identified as more accurate or precise than the proportional method of APL but were not well received by student participants. Use of an adjustable ruler may overcome barriers to uptake of the more accurate APL methods. This pilot study was the first to evaluate the comparative accuracy of the adjustable ruler and the proportional methods of APL in first-year students at a major Australian acupuncture training college.

Methods

After 10 weeks of in-class instruction in both proportional and adjustable ruler methods of APL, student participants (n = 14) attempted location of three acupuncture points (LI10, SP6 and ST38) on a volunteer using both APL methods of interest. A self-administered questionnaire and lecturer field notes elucidated attitudes to implementation of both APL methods.

Results

Points marked using the adjustable ruler were closer to the correct location than those marked using the proportional method across all three acupuncture points. Students and lecturers rated the adjustable ruler more highly than the proportional method for ease of learning and ease of use.

Conclusion

Encouraging results with the adjustable ruler method warrant further larger scale studies. Use of the adjustable ruler method of APL should be considered for use in point location training at educational institutions teaching traditional acupuncture.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150359