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The Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute
Acupuncture is one of the three treasures of Traditional Chinese Medicine and originated from China, possessing thousands of years of rich history. In the developmental process, it absorbed the best of the natural sciences and social sciences, and accumulated thousands of years of bedside experience. It is a holistic form of medicine, combining man, nature and society. In 1971, when the Chinese government announced the results of the acupuncture anaesthesia research, a lot of interest was generated. In 1972, after U.S. President Nixon visited China, the "Acupuncture Craze" was started. In order to promote TCM research and progress in Singapore, the Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association set up the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute in December 1978, actively promoting the research of acupuncture. The first Dean was Dr Lee Yong Sheng and Vice-Deans were Dr Hong Chiong Bin and Dr Xie Chai Pei.
In Singapore, like TCM, acupuncture has been well-received and supported by the general public. Following the government legislation for all acupuncturists to be registered in 2001, public confidence in acupuncture, as well as the public status of acupuncture were raised. From 2007, the Singapore Ministry of Health gave its approval to the Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine to organise the Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (only applicable to Singapore Registered Medical or Dental Practitioners), a significant achievement for the college and a milestone for the progress of acupuncture in Singapore.
Academic exchanges and publications
In 2000, organised the "Vision of the Future of Acupuncture in Singapore" forum, which was chaired by Professor Liang Shihai, the forum moderator was Dr Wong Chin Nai, and the speakers were Drs Chen Bi Lian, Li Jin Long, Chen Shui Xing, Zhong Bing Sheng.
In March 2003, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute and Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly organized the joint lectures on Chinese and Western medicine understanding of SARS , to understand the members' understanding of the disease and raise awareness, at the same time, to urge their members to take appropriate preventive measures in their individual clinics.
In May 2007, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute sent five resident physicians to participate in the free charity event held at the meditation hall of the Tzu Chi Foundation, Pasir Ris branch.
In May 2009, in order to jointly plan the ASEAN Forum of acupuncture, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute, China Acupuncture Society, Taiwan Chung Hwa Acupuncture Association and other representatives of acupuncture organisations, held a Preparation Forum in Singapore, at the Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association. The main topics were: discussing Forum objectives and tasks, rotating organising responsibilities and topics, and setting the direction of the forum's academic development.
In May 2009, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute and Toa Payoh Community Club Management Committee Liaison Office organised three public forums titled "Taiwan Acupuncture Experts Seminar". The first forum's speaker was Professor Wang Ling Ling on "Acupuncture treatments of different types of chronic functional constipation and research on the efficacy of acupuncture treatment"; the second forum's speaker was Professor Xu Bin on "The characteristics of successful weight loss using acupuncture and the research on the determining factors", and the third forum's speaker was Professor Lin Zhaogeng on "The historical application and effectiveness of acupuncture."
In November 2009, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute won three awards given by the World Manipulative Medicine Association (WMMA) for Best Organisation, Special Contribution and Best Individual Results based on Dr. Su Chengji's excellent talk on "Soft tissue injury and spine-related diseases." Another seminar entitled "Common eye conditions seen in TCM and their prevention" was held in December.
In December 2009, the first Asian and International Acupuncture Academic Conference was organised by the Taiwan Chung Hwa Acupuncture Association and was held in Taichung, Taiwan. The SCPA sent a team of representatives who gave a lecture entitled "Acupuncture in Asia: The academic status and development trend". To promote international academic exchange and cooperation, a group of 25 physician members, led by the Chung Hwa Medical Research Institute Dean Professor Huang Huai De and Vice-Dean Guo Zhong Fu attended the meeting.
In December 2010, the "2010 Nanjing International Forum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture-- 2nd Asian Forum" was held in Nanjing, China. The Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association resolved to send three representatives as speakers: SCPA Secretary-General Dr Coral Teng, Dr Cui Shu Li from Singapore General Hospital, and Chung Hwa Medical Institution Volunteer Physician Dr Tang Yue.
In 2011, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute, along with the Toa Payoh Community Club and Yuhua Community Club Liaison Office, organised the annual "Acupuncture and Health" lecture series in March and April respectively, to be given by the Vice-Dean Dr Zhong Bing Sheng at the Toa Payoh and Yuhua Community Clubs. The main topics were "Acupuncture treatment for the after-effects of stroke, facial paralysis and other diseases of the head." In June, Deputy Dean Dr Liang Guixian gave a talk on "TCM and the kidney"at the Yuhua Community Club.
On April 22, 2011, with the World Acupuncture Federation as the host, the SCPA and Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute as the organisers, the World Acupuncture Magazine Society's first stop in the "Global Tour of Acupuncture" was held at the third floor Grand Hall of the Quality Hotel in Singapore. The symposium was named "Acupuncture Practical Technology" seminars, and specially invited experts included, expert in acupuncture and moxibustion Professor Wang Lingling, ear acupuncture expert Professor Jia Chunsheng, tongue acupuncture expert Professor Sun Jieguang , fire acupuncture expert Chairman He Lin, as well as acupoint expert Professor Shi Xian. The Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute was responsible for co-ordinating the event and the committee members intend to distribute the seminar materials to ASEAN neighbours, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Total number of attendees for the event was more than 400 people.
Research activities
The Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute actively carries out research activities, and has set up study groups to observe the clinical efficacy of a number of acupoints.
In April 2003, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute started a survey on the commonly seen medical conditions and started to collect the relevant information from over a thousand patient cases, preliminary results have been published in Jakarta, Indonesia at Seventh Asean Congress of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In 2004, the Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute started research on the "Zusanli acupressure treatment of functional dyspepsia" which was an in-depth study, that was published at the Sixth World Conference on Acupuncture which was held in Gold Coast, Australia in October the same year.
Research Direction
The Chung Hwa Acupuncture Research Institute will focus on theoretical and clinical issues to explore and promote the development of local TCM research.
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