The British Medical Acupuncture Society BMAS was founded in 1980 as an association purely for medical doctors interested in acupuncture. Since 2002, membership has been open to most statutory regulated healthcare professionals. Acupuncture in the UK has not been predominantly the domain of statutory healthcare professionals, but acupuncture practitioners who obtained their training and experience from a variety of teaching providers (like small private schools and colleges providing teaching in Chinese Medicine and acupuncture).
The BMAS decided in 2017 to extended their membership scheme to healthcare professionals who are voluntary regulated, provided that their regulatory body is overseen by the PSA and that acupuncture falls within the scope of practice. This enabled TCM practitioners, physiotherapists, other healthcare professionals and midwives to join the BMAS.
There are now over 1,900 members who use acupuncture in primary or secondary care settings.
The BMAS, staff and members frequently publish their research in the AIM Journal (‘Acupuncture in Medicine’). Since around the year 2000 and in particular with Dr. Mike Cummings taking a leadership position in the BMAS, there has been a great effort to provide a working definition of the term ‘Western Medical Acupuncture‘
Western Medical Acupuncture is based on the theory and empirical treatment protocols customary taught under the TCM Acupuncture curriculum minus any references pertaining to Chinese Medicine Theory that features terms like Yin/Yang, 5 Phases and Zang Fu theory. It has also incorporated the knowledge domanin of Dry Needling and Electro Acupuncture.
Dr Mike Cummings frequently publishes updates on the latest scientific evidence for using acupuncture. He is also the co-author of one of the standard textbooks in Western Medical Acupuncture:
Filshie J, White A, Cummings M. Medical Acupuncture – A Western Scientific Approach. 2nd edition. London: Elsevier; 2016.
A summary of the conditions covered by the latest research report can be found below:
- Chronic low back pain
- Chronic headache
- Knee osteoarthritis (OA Knee)
- Hip osteoarthritis (OA Hip)
- Shoulder pain
- Nausea & vomiting
- Overactive bladder
- Chronic constipation
- Stress urinary incontinence
- Allergic rhinitis
- Hot flushes
