Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Hospitals

-Current roles of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan-

Abstract

Acupuncture and moxibustion were introduced to Japan from China in the 6 th Century. Since then our ancestors adapted these unique techniques and knowledge to our climate and ethnicity, and eventually developed the Japanese system of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Whether acupuncture and moxibustion therapy is successful or not depends on the knowledge and skill of the individual acupuncturist. However, in recent years, the role of medical doctors, nurses, physical therapist and other medical professionals working as a team has become particularly important, with some acupuncturist starting to work in university hospitals as part of these teams, and contributing to patient well-being.
In this paper, to elucidate the roles of acupuncture and moxibustion in modern medicine, we show how acupuncture and moxibustion are applied in university hospitals, and how acupuncturists evaluate the effectiveness of their acupuncture and moxibustion.