Training Videos > Needling Over The Years

Needling Over The Years

Susan Kohut’s presentation offers a thoughtful exploration of acupuncture within New Zealand physiotherapy. Her work is grounded in Moari concepts such as whakapapa and the koru. Using them as metaphors for the evolving, layered nature of acupuncture practice.

The presentation highlights the early tensions between traditional Chinese Medicine and Western biomedicine, marginalisation of complementary therapies and how colonial privilege extends into medicine, going on to question “are there some preconceptions that still continue, embedded within physiotherapy and medicine towards acupuncture?”

From a research perspective Susan summarises ACC commissioned reviews of 96 studies showing short term effectiveness of acupuncture for MSK conditions. She also identifies limitations such as poor reporting, heterogenous methods and short follow up periods.

Two recent Masters projects show consistent evidence that acupuncture improves sleep, mood, and quality of life in chronic pain, plus combining acupuncture with exercise may enhance participation and outcomes in chronic low back pain.

The historical anecdotes -such as the 1906 Quakery Prevention Act and the fluctuating acceptance of acupuncture within physiotherapy – illustrated how professional boundaries have been negotiated over decades.