The UK Conference of Chinese Medicine 2024

Nutritional formulas and strategies: what herbal formulas can teach us about cooking and nutrition

Formulas have formed the heart of Chinese herbal medicine for over 2,000 years. These blueprint recipes describe and treat common clinical ‘situations’ or clusters of syndromes rather than the single syndromes we often see in text books. Each ingredient in a formula adopts a specific role within the recipe, ingredients working synergistically together to create an overall healing effect greater than the sum of its parts. These soups, powders, pills and elixirs give us unique insights into the strategies of Chinese medicine throughout its long history, and many offer us a lesson in Chinese medicine history, theory and practice. In this session we will look at how some of these famous formulas can be adapted to create delicious meals suited to our clinical patients, and give us new insights into acupuncture point selection.

Danny has had a lifelong fascination with yangsheng and food as an amateur cook, scholar and practitioner. He believes there is nothing finer under heaven than a healthy home cooked meal shared in good company. He has taught at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine for nearly 25 years. His clinic in Cheltenham blends five element acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and many aspects of yangsheng. He co-authored Chinese Dietary Wisdom with Greg Lampert.

Oncology acupuncture: supporting patients through their cancer treatments

Oncology acupuncture is a growing field, providing evidence-based symptom management and support for cancer patients. This presentation will explore current research and clinical approaches to common side effects of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, xerostomia, hot flushes and night sweats, cancer-related fatigue and cancer-related pain. Each symptom will be illustrated with case studies from my clinical practice in a busy cancer centre in the NHS, alongside contraindications and relevant lifestyle advice.

Mandy Brass is the lead acupuncturist at Dimbleby Cancer Care, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She trained at Westminster University in 2000 and recently completed her MSc at the Northern College of Acupuncture. Her research, evaluating the outcomes and patient experience of group with individual acupuncture in an NHS cancer care setting, won the Research Council for Complementary Medicine’s George Lewith Memorial Prize for best early career research project.

Yi and the quest for a masterful clinical gaze

Sun Simiao famously said Medicine is Yi, but what does this actually mean? Your doctor’s power comes courtesy of the drug companies, but in high-level TCM practice efficacy derives from the practitioner’s attainment – from the cultivation of our yi. But yi is a cultural codeword that we should understand more from its original context than from what appears in dictionaries today.

This session examines classical Chinese medicine thought by looking at the way yi was used in early texts – how it relates to ideas of xiang-image, wuwei, shi-power and liang zhi-reliable intuition. We see, too, how this connects this with neurobiology, cognition and the study of intuition in expert physicians east and west. My intention is that you will leave with insights that translate into practical ways to raise your clinical game.

Veteran clinician, educator and scholar Charlie Buck is known for his insight into the tradition and his engaging communication style. He has held many academic posts over the past 40 years and regularly presents at conferences across the world. A past chairman of the BAcC, Charlie has been awarded Fellowships to all three of the UK’s serious TCM professional bodies, having long worked for advocacy to help us gain increased legitimacy. His textbook Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine – Roots of Modern Practice is a notable contribution to the literature.

Delivering ear acupuncture for anxiety in an NHS setting: from conception to delivery and future directions

Practitioner insights with Fleur Clackson MBAcC, Jennie Heckford MBAcC and Wendy Williams MBAcC.

During this 90 minute session, three BAcC practitioners will share their experience and learnings from developing and delivering a group acupuncture intervention for anxiety for a network of Inner City GP services in Gloucester, starting October 2022.

A mixture of presentation and interactive discussion will explore:

• The set up – from concept to delivery
• Development – their experience in shaping and improving the service
• What happens next – future possibilities
• Challenges and successes from the perspective of patients, BAcC Members and NHS commissioners

This will be a valuable session for those who may be interested in developing and delivering similar services within the NHS.

Fleur graduated from The City College of Acupuncture, London. Alongside her private practice in Dalston, she worked at NHS Guy’s and St Thomas’ multi-bed acupuncture clinic, GATEWAY. In 2022 she moved her acupuncture practice to the West Country, where she now lives. She treats privately at Neals Yard in the city of Bath. She also co-develops and co-delivers two weekly NHS acupuncture clinics for Gloucester’s Inner City Primary Care Network.

Creative intention: exploring creativity to empower clinical practice

Enjoy a post-lunch gathering of ‘creative intention’, a delicious blend of playfulness and relaxation. Explore your relationship with yì 意 through hands-on creative practice. Unleash your inner artist in a nurturing investigation of your own creativity within the context of yì (意), shen (神), and zhì (志).  The therapeutic power of creativity meets Chinese medicine philosophy in a session that will have you looking at things you thought you knew in a way you didn’t expect! No artistic experience required – all materials provided.

Rev Deb Connor / Monk Li Xiào Yì 笑意 is an intuitive abstract artist using creative practice with groups and individuals for spiritual growth, personal development and healing. Rev Deb, a former NHS clinical educator, graduated in traditional Chinese medicine (Acupuncture) with first class honours from Salford University. Rev Deb undertook postgraduate acupuncture study at the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and completed a PG Cert in Chinese Herbal Studies at the Northern Collage of Acupuncture.

Rev Deb has been a practitioner of Daoist medicine running her own practice in St Helens, Merseyside since 2007. Author of ‘The Little Book of Dao’ and ‘The 12 Step Colouring Book’ Rev Deb has two new books due for publication in 2024; ‘The Dao De Jing; A contemplative translation in words and art’ and ‘The Dao of Hummus’.

A member of the Qingcheng Mountain Daoist Association, Rev Deb / Li Xiào Yì 笑意 accepted ordination as a 22nd generation Dragon Gate Daoist Priest, before transitioning to become a Dragon Gate Daoist Monk, both under the tutorage of Daoist Abbott Lao Zhi Chang. Rev Deb is an ordained OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation minister, a Visual Medicine™ facilitator and journal therapist. Rev Deb is the creator of the online programmes Arts For Awakening™ and The Creative Spiritual Quest™ and is passionate about creativity as a healing spiritual practice.

Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice

Many acupuncturists are hesitant to treat people undergoing cancer treatments, being uncertain about what to treat and when. Aware of this, an international team of 15 experts in integrative oncology have collaborated to produce recommendations for safe practice. These aim to support, inform, and empower acupuncturists to offer acupuncture as a safe, appropriate adjunct to the routine treatment and care of people with a cancer diagnosis. In this talk, Beverley de Valois presents highlights from the newly published recommendations.

Beverley is a practising acupuncturist and researcher in the NHS with nearly 25 years’ experience of investigating the use of acupuncture in the supportive care of people with cancer.

Beverley is a Fellow of the British Acupuncture Council, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, past-Chair of the British Lymphology Society (BLS) Scientific Committee, and the author of Acupuncture and Cancer Survivorship: Recovery, Renewal and Transformation published by Singing Dragon.

Morning qigong

Let’s start the day with qigong to centre and stabilise ourselves, mobilise the entire channel network and free our qi.

Peter has worked in the field of health promotion for over fifty years, first as a natural/organic foods pioneer (Infinity Foods), then as a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, international teacher, founder and editor/publisher of The Journal of Chinese Medicine, co-author of A Manual of Acupuncture and author of Live Well Live Long: Teachings from the Chinese nourishment of Life Tradition. He has practised and taught qigong for many years.

Delivering ear acupuncture for anxiety in an NHS setting: from conception to delivery and future directions

Practitioner insights with Fleur Clackson MBAcC, Jennie Heckford MBAcC and Wendy Williams MBAcC.

During this 90 minute session, three BAcC practitioners will share their experience and learnings from developing and delivering a group acupuncture intervention for anxiety for a network of Inner City GP services in Gloucester, starting October 2022.

A mixture of presentation and interactive discussion will explore:

• The set up – from concept to delivery
• Development – their experience in shaping and improving the service
• What happens next – future possibilities
• Challenges and successes from the perspective of patients, BAcC Members and NHS commissioners

This will be a valuable session for those who may be interested in developing and delivering similar services within the NHS.

Jennie graduated from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) in 2008. Alongside her private practice she spent 14 years working as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering acupuncture 1-2-1 and ear acupuncture in groups to breast cancer patients, both on behalf of a national charity and within the NHS. Before qualifying as an acupuncturist Jennie worked in public health and health promotion developing local health policy. Jennie lives and practices in Gloucestershire where she is part of a team delivering acupuncture services to Gloucester Inner City Primary Care Network.

Yì – intention, attention, awareness: a view from the classics

Generally translated as intent or intention, the Chinese character yì also suggests the ability to remain aware and attentive, without moving into thoughts and reflections or being motivated by the will. In chapter 8 of the Lingshu, which describes the emergence of consciousness, yì comes directly after the heart, and represents the first movement of the heart-mind, the first stages of individual consciousness. Yì is the ability to remain present and attentive – to receive information without rushing into action. It provides the basis of diagnosis.

Sandra studied in Japan before training in the UK, and engaging in an ongoing relationship with sinologists Claude Larre and Elisabeth Rochat. She co-founded Monkey Press: Chinese Medicine from the Classics, and was involved in the founding of both the BAcC and EJOM. She is the author of Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Body, and Chinese Medicine from the Classics: A Beginner’s Guide. She is currently engaged in PhD research.

Treating the spleen  and stomach through the seasons with culinary herbs and dietary therapy

When we pick up a book on dietary therapy, it will often give us good information on the temperature (qi) and flavour (wei) of each ingredient. However, it can often be challenging to apply this knowledge to treat specific ailments, much less to understand clearly how to apply this throughout the seasons. Alex will guide you through the basic herbal flavour logic of the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine and show you how to apply this with ingredients and recipes to treat spleen and stomach disorders such as food stagnation and indigestion and how these approaches may vary through the seasons. In a short time, you will gain powerful herbal medicine logic that you can apply straight away with culinary herbs and food. Learn how the spirit of the spleen, yi, has a real tangible quality and how it is key to maintaining balance and health. No prior knowledge necessary.

Alex Jacobs is an acupuncturist, herbalist, tuina massage practitioner, qigong teacher and teacher of yangsheng and dietary therapy. He is the CEO of the RCHM and one of the organisers of this year’s conference. He has an equal passion for acupuncture as he does herbal medicine and is a clinical supervisor for acupuncture at City College of Acupuncture. His passion for yangsheng and Chinese medicine self-help began during his mandarin study while living in Taiwan. Upon returning to the UK, he set up the London Chinese Medicine Meetup Group to teach Chinese medicine self-help to the public. He currently teaches on the Chinese nutrition and yangsheng diploma at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine.

Making acupuncture accessible to all: conspiring to integrate with the NHS

Joe will talk on his experiences, joys and epic fails on the way to making acupuncture more accessible. The end goal was, and still is, integration with the NHS as without that our awesome profession will be limited to those who can afford it, which is a reducing population given the rising cost of capitalism and inequality.

In the last couple of years, he’s worked harder on NHS integration, and even succeeding for a bit. He has a fair bit to share on working with the NHS, attracting funding via the big lottery fund and ways we can work together to push this ambition forward.

Joe graduated from Middlesex University in 2011, since then he’s focused on making acupuncture accessible for all. He’s been running a busy community clinic in East Oxford for eight years, has set up 12 others across the UK. Most failed. He’s worked in the NHS, sits on the board of ACMAC and has set up YourClinic.

Adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome: evidence-informed treatment strategies using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine

Most of our understanding of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) centres on the health concerns of women of reproductive age and yet an increasing number of adolescents are now being diagnosed worldwide. In this session, Lily will share treatment strategies she commonly uses when treating adolescents with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. These approaches have been developed through her clinical experience as well as her PhD research evaluating Chinese medicine for regulating menses in PCOS. It will also be informed by the latest English and Chinese-language research studies including the recently published 2023 international guidelines on adult and adolescent PCOS.

Lily has been in practice since 2005, having her 5-year degree in Chinese medicine jointly awarded by Middlesex University London and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Her PhD at the University of Southampton on integrating Chinese herbal medicine into primary care for polycystic ovary syndrome was the first to be funded by the National Institute for Health Research. She maintains a busy private practice in Manchester and lectures internationally on Chinese medicine and women’s health.

Causes of male infertility-from research knowledge to clinical treatment strategies with Chinese medicine

This lecture gives an evidence-based overview of the most common and recent causes of male infertility. It explains why and how different causes harm sperm quality and provides research study data to underline the importance when talking to your patients. Most importantly, you are going to gain ideas on how to use this knowledge for lifestyle modification recommendations and learn practical treatment strategies for your Chinese medicine-clinic.

Olivia Pojer is an MD, president of the Austrian Acupuncture Society, academic at the Medical University of Graz and organises the TAO Congress.

She holds a TCM diploma and an acupuncture diploma from the Austrian Medical Association, in integrative medicine in assisted reproduction (ART) from the German Association for Reproductive Medicine as well as a diploma for advanced training in TCM from the Universities of Nanjing and Wuhan, China.

Olivia is a Fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine (ABORM) and a book author: Integrative treatment of male infertility with Chinese Medicine. She is co-owner of the center Femme&Fertile near Graz where she specialised on treating male infertility.

This is how I do it – bringing about change and transformation for people with chronic inflammatory disease using acupuncture and herbs

This is a talk exploring the practical ways any practitioner might approach treating someone with a chronic, complex inflammatory health condition. It is a walk-through of my process incorporating research, for treatment and lifestyle changes we would ideally like our patient to commit to. How can we bring about change and transformation when there is so much complexity? What could we achieve and how will we get there and how long will it take? This talk should either affirm what you already know, and enable further learning, or inspire you to learn more. We will discuss case exemplars including inflammatory bowel disease, endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

After initially qualifying as an acupuncturist in 1986 Sarah undertook further TCM and Chinese herb training. After two trips to Nanjing in 1991 and 1992 she started teaching at various UK and European Chinese herb institutions including 25 years on the NCA Chinese herb course. Sarah has an MSc in epidemiology with published work on the impact of the therapeutic relationship on health outcome, and a PhD exploring acupuncture for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. She has a full time practice in Edinburgh.

Causes of disease – ancient theory in a modern context

We’ll explore and bring to life the internal and external causes of disease, and zone in on the increasing relevance of modern ‘poisons’ – polypharmacy as a miscellaneous cause of disease: what’s the problem, how do we identify it, and what do we do about it?

The focus will be on recognising this theory in action in diagnosis, rather than treatment, so practitioners of all approaches should find some relevance. But we will touch on some treatment options in the five element tradition.

Come prepared to join in and bring your own experiences and questions!

After graduating from The College of Traditional Acupuncture (CTA) in the early 2000s, Julie completed an MSc in Health Research at York University. For her thesis, she ran an RCT of five element acupuncture for IBS, supervised by the late Hugh McPherson. She returned to CTA in 2006 to teach, and became Head of Research. In 2011, after CTA closed, Julie co-founded The Acupuncture Academy (TAA) in Leamington Spa, a BAAB accredited college, with Jen Wade. She is joint Principal and Head of Clinical year at the college.

Five element and six qi acupuncture with four needles to achieve quick and effective clinical results

We are all familiar with the theories of the five elements and the six climatic qi in relation to acupuncture treatment. However, applying them systematically, just using transporting points to achieve quick and effective clinic results is often challenging. In this talk, you will be introduced to a new way of thinking or diagnosing, however, if you remember all you basic five element and eight principle theory, and let go of western medicine disease names, you will find that it is very easy to apply. Cases on period pain and shingles will be presented to illustrate this simple four needle technique in practice.

Sia Wang is well-known for her regular Japanese moxa workshops at CICM in Reading. In 2019, after 20 years of clinical practice, Sia discovered the five element and six qi approach to acupuncture. It profoundly changed her personal life and took her existing clinical practice to a new level. This simple method, using four needles per treatment combines the theories of the five elements and six climatic factors to achieve significant tangible clinical success.

Delivering ear acupuncture for anxiety in an NHS setting: from conception to delivery and future directions

Practitioner insights with Fleur Clackson MBAcC, Jennie Heckford MBAcC and Wendy Williams MBAcC.

During this 90 minute session, three BAcC practitioners will share their experience and learnings from developing and delivering a group acupuncture intervention for anxiety for a network of Inner City GP services in Gloucester, starting October 2022.

A mixture of presentation and interactive discussion will explore:

• The set up – from concept to delivery
• Development – their experience in shaping and improving the service
• What happens next – future possibilities
• Challenges and successes from the perspective of patients, BAcC Members and NHS commissioners

This will be a valuable session for those who may be interested in developing and delivering similar services within the NHS.

Wendy graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in 2017 and now practices in both the private and public NHS sectors in Cheltenham and Gloucester. She is involved in developing and running a pain clinic and a group ear acupuncture program for anxiety for Gloucester Inner City Primary Care Network. Wendy has spent a year studying herbs to expand her knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine.

Holistic treatment for infertility from women’s physiological characteristics in traditional Chinese Medicine

Annual infertility rates have been rising globally, particularly in countries with high socio-demographic indexes. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), practiced for millennia, takes a holistic approach, emphasizing yin yang balance and harmonizing Zangfu functions for infertility treatment. In an upcoming presentation, Mei Xing delves into TCM treatment principles, analysing women’s physical characteristics and contrasting menstruation cycles in TCM with conventional medicine. Two challenging case studies will be presented to showcase the efficacy of TCM’s holistic approach in addressing infertility, providing valuable insights into alternative treatment strategies.

Mei Xing, President of the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ATCM) and Acupuncture and avisiting Professor at Guizhou TCM University, serves as the Principal of the Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Additionally, she holds the position of Director and Senior Chinese Medicine Doctor at the Acuhealth Centre in Manchester. With a rich background, Mei Xing previously worked as a seniorlecturer and programme leader for the acupuncture programme at Salford University. With over 38 years of experience in teaching and practicing TCM, she has also contributed to Chinese medicine research, publishing in both Chinese and peer-reviewed English journals