An audit of 500 acupuncture patients in general practice

This is an audit of 500 patients treated in a general practice setting. Acupuncture clinics are provided on two evenings each week and are funded by the practice. Short treatment times are favoured but this varies according to condition and response. A wide variety of conditions have been treated the commonest being neck pain, low back pain, shoulder problems, hayfever, knee osteoarthritis, and migraine. An overall improvement of 73% was obtained with 61% classified as 'significant improvement' or 'cure'. Amongst the adverse effects recorded, retained needles and forgotten patients have been the most concerning and have led to changes in practice following 'critical incident' meetings.