SAR/RCMI PolyU Conference Summary, Hong Kong, May 23-26, 2024

We asked the conference organizers, as well as acupuncture practitioners and researcher attendees from around the world, to share their key takeaways from the recent conference in Hong Kong. Below is an introduction from the conference organizers, as well as a few excerpts from replies we received. These and other perspectives will be presented in full, in a Turning Points column planned for December publication.

Dr. Jerry WF Yeung: “The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR) collaborated to organize a Research Conference titled “Bridging the two worlds: Engaging Traditional Chinese Medicine in Modern Health Care” at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China, from 23 to 25 May 2024. The three-day event attracted more than 300 participants from 19 countries and regions. The primary goal of the Conference was to establish a strong connection between Eastern and Western medicine to advance the scientific understanding and evidence-based clinical applications of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It served as a platform for researchers from different healthcare professions and disciplines to exchange ideas, explore new research hypotheses, and develop strategies for acupuncture and TCM. In addition to the keynote speeches, the program included symposiums, roundtable discussions, and over 160 presentation sessions, where participants shared their insights and perspectives on bridging Eastern and Western methods, precision medicine, and Chinese medicine to improve overall health and address various health issues, such as chronic diseases, insomnia, pain, etc.”

Dr. Kristen Sparrow: “So many topics were discussed. For example, autonomic activity is tightly correlated with inflammation. From PCOS to anti-hypertension, to pain, to brain, lung, gut, and heart health, this correlation was a treasure trove of insights and future studies, not to mention practical applications for acupuncture practice. The role of the α7nAChR receptor, triggered by the vagus nerve, continues to be a key mechanism for understanding acupoints and acupuncture’s effectiveness. Vagal activity was also featured in a TAVNS (Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation) session that included a presentation on the possibilities of home-based stimulation devices. Acupressure studies also explored the possibilities of patient-empowered treatment. The specifics of stimulation are coming into focus, not only which fibers to stimulate but how and with what frequency electroacupuncture is used to achieve which effect. Different frequencies lead to various physiological effects, so in one stunning example, one frequency affects the edema portion of the CFA-induced mouse foot swelling, and another is analgesic. In another, combining two different approaches for treating hypertension, one for inflammation and one for inhibiting sympathetic activity, resulted in a more pronounced reduction in blood pressure. We were presented with mind-bending specifics about messengers involved in acupuncture’s and moxibustion’s mechanisms, from cFos to ADP, to Il-6 and TNF, Il-1B, Il-10 to AMPK, and adiponectin, just to mention a few. This detail can only lead to better and more reliable results, rich potential for further studies, and promise for the practice of acupuncture.”

Dr. Afua Bromley: “In a smaller discussion group in one of the symposia, both of my team members were data analysts and bioinformaticians. Our discussion, and indirectly many of the discussions and topics throughout the conference, highlighted the challenges and opportunities within our field. For me, as a practitioner, the conversations reinforced the power of data collection and emphasized how much more education we need to do with practitioners (in school and beyond) to see themselves as scientists and researchers. “Bridging the Two Worlds” was not just about figuring out how to use technology innovatively, such as ultra-sound guided acupuncture (who knew?!), or harnessing AI to work through predictive models with tongue diagnosis (fascinating!!). We must continue to create, adapt and innovate research design tools, methods, and models that fit acupuncture and herbal medicine.”

Dr. LiMing Tseng: “The 2024 SAR/RCMI Conference’s AI in acupuncture symposium, led by Dr. Ye-Seul (Jennifer) Lee of the AI in Acupuncture SIG, showcased the application of machine learning in acupuncture, as seen in digitizing classical texts compiling case studies to analyzing tongue diagnoses with clinical data with Dr. Harry Qin. It was fascinating to see the use of “big data” from real world clinical evidence to support personalized patient care in Dr. Xuezhong Zhou’s presentation.”