Title:Exploring Pedagogical Dissonance in including Acupuncture Treatment
Approach into A Western Biomedical Evidence-based Physiotherapy
Curriculum
Volume: 5
Author(s): Ana Anjos*, Lieselotte Corten, Nuno Goncalves and Soraya Maart
Affiliation:
- Department of Physiotherapy, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Keywords:
Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, Manual therapy, Rehabilitation, Combination, Curriculum, Undergraduate, Inclusion.
Abstract:
Background:
In the past several years, acupuncture has been used more often to manage pain, either in conjunction with other therapies or as a complementary
treatment. Evidence also points to a rise in physiotherapists’ interest in acupuncture.
Main Objectives:
The goal of performing a cross-sectional survey was to identify the characteristics of physiotherapists who use acupuncture in their relevant
practice and also to explore what views participants had regarding the inclusion of acupuncture in the physiotherapy curriculum.
Methodology:
A quantitative cross-sectional survey methodology was used in the investigation. Through pilot studies and expert input, an online survey was
developed and validated. The South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP), the Physiotherapy Association of South Africa (PASA), and the
Emirates Physiotherapy Society (EPS) used email and social media to distribute the questionnaire to physiotherapists in order to gather data. These
countries were specifically chosen based on language and researcher familiarity with the organizations. One hundred eighty-one physiotherapists
who were members of the appropriate professional associations in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates were included in the study as a
convenient sample. Active physiotherapists who have treated patients within the previous six months and consented to take the survey were
eligible to participate. The study had no exclusion criteria.
Conclusion:
The survey had varied results, although most respondents recognized the value of acupuncture in the practice of physiotherapy. However, the
majority of participants did not think that physiotherapy alone is ineffective. Overall, the survey results showed that some respondents preferred
postgraduate acupuncture education over including acupuncture in undergraduate education. Notably, despite the majority of physiotherapists
having bachelor’s degrees, the survey data showed that many of them possessed practical experience in acupuncture.
