Mel Koppelman – Responding to Acupuncture Skeptics, Thoughts on Scrutiny of Acupuncture #2

 

Mel Hopper Koppelman holds a masters in Acupuncture and is currently undertaking a second Masters in Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western states. She has a multi-disciplinary clinic in Leicester, UK where she practices. She also seems to have developed the habit of arguing with strangers on the internet (usually fully referenced). She is a regular guest author for the Journal of Chinese Medicine and she is on the executive committee of the Acupuncture Now Foundation.

Why you should listen – Mel Hopper Koppelman comes to Needle Chat to discuss her chosen path to respond to the skeptics about whether acupuncture works, or is nothing more than a useless placebo treatment without any benefit. She talks about what drives her to respond to the skeptics, what she has learned in dealing with skeptics, and what she has learned about acupuncture while researching for her responses. Mel also talks about whether acupuncture is ready to be placed under the microscope, and if acupuncturists should be open to the scrutiny given to their profession over the past couple of decades.

 

SHOW NOTES

0m 0s – Introduction of Mel Hopper Koppelman

0m 53s – How is Acupuncture education done in the UK?

2m 33s – Mel’s blog – ABetterWayToHealth.com

• Mel’s first blog response to the skeptics of Acupuncture
• The response Mel received from the skeptics
• Mel’s second response to the skeptics of Acupuncture

10m 53s – Mel’s discoveries during research for her blog posts

• Acupuncture on blood flow to different organs
• Acupuncture reduces cytokines
• Acupuncture can induce vasodilation and vasoconstriction
• Acupuncture raises Adenosine

12m 54s – Mel’s response to a biased narrative review on Acupuncture for chronic back pain

15m 51s – Mel’s thoughts on a recent paper titled Acupuncture is all Placebo and here is why

18m 24s – What’s drives Mel to respond to the skeptics?

19m 36s – Mel’s opinion on design flaws in Acupuncture research

• adequately powered studies
• German Acupuncture study on low back pain

26m 35s – Are acupuncturists ready for scrutiny of their profession?

• My blog post on Acupuncture & IVF

30m 45s – Other research discoveries Mel has found

• CGRP (Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide)
  • Acupuncture increases the release of CGRP
  • Electro-acupuncture upregulates CGRP
• Acupuncture and Mechanotransduction

33m 22s – Thoughts on appropriate design studies for Acupuncture studies

36m 38s – Thoughts on dry needling

38m 54s – What’s next for Mel?

41m 45s – The future of Acupuncture

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