wcpt congress: event of a lifetime - World Confederation for Physical ...

OF SPECIAL INTEREST
High standard recognised
ACUPUNCTURE
The keynote speaker for our combined
PAANZ/ MASNZ (Medical Acupuncture
Society) conference in Auckland
this year was Jay Shah, a medical
acupuncturist from America. One of Jay
Shah’s research projects has involved
sampling by microdialysis, through
a fine gauge needle, the “chemical
soup” from within both active and
latent trigger points. The response to
dry needling of these points can then
be demonstrated by the same process.
The conference focus was strongly
based in the western acupuncture
paradigm and a timely neurophysiology
review for many of us.
Our intention now is to bring in one
or more high calibre overseas speakers
each year. It is of course ever so much
easier to bring one of them to us
than take all of us to them. Next year
Elizabet Stener-Victorin and Thomas
Graven-Neilsen are both presenting,
so expect excellent quality.
The Upskilling course is a great success,
ably supported by our mentoring
programme (also available for
members in other contexts).
PAANZ has accumulated a wealth of
case studies, which we will put on
our website with a search facility for
condition treated. Please check in on
our website – it’s an excellent resource
for both our members and the public.
Guy Bailey
President, Physiotherapy Acupuncture
Association of New Zealand
www.paanz.org.nz
The PAANZ and MASNZ presentations
were also to a high standard and very
relevant to working in the New Zealand
health system. It was particularly
nice for me to see Dr Mike Anderson
presenting again as he was a very
sound mentor to a lot of us in PAANZ
in his days of acupuncture tutoring.
Di Turnbull, who has travelled extensively
over the last decade to overseas
courses run for physiotherapy acupuncturists,
commented that our Kiwi
standards of knowledge and skill in
acupuncture are very high.
Below: Who said a conference
workshop is a serious business?
20 | PHYSIO MATTERS AUGUST 2011