General information for practitioners

Evidence-based Acupuncture

Evidence-based Acupuncture

DB November 22, 2018

I wanted to alert both practitioners and patients to the wonderful work of Mel Koppelman and others who set up evidence-based acupuncture.org.  Mel has led the move towards documenting evidence that supports the effectiveness of acupuncture.  She also helps to make sense of research and guides non-researchers like me in interpreting it correctly.  This is incredibly important work, and enables practitioners to talk to their patients, or to acupuncture-sceptics, in a language that they will relate to.  Here is a link to part of an interview Mel did with Jenny Dubrowsky (www.tcm007.com).

Mel Koppelman talking about evidence-based acupuncture:

Children and fright

DB November 9, 2018

I recently wrote a guest blog post for Sabine Wilms.  Sabine is an academic, translator, writer, publisher and educator extraordinaire.  She has translated several ancient Chinese texts, including Sun Simiao’s writings on paediatrics, from Chapter 5 of the Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang 備急千金要方 (Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold to Prepare for Emergencies).  It astounds me that, even though Sun’s work was written in 625AD, much of his wisdom is still relevant for today’s babies and children.  As a clinician, I feel that my work is more able to remain connected to the roots of the tradition, and is therefore hugely enhanced,  by being able to refer to these ancient texts.  I and others therefore owe a huge debt of gratitude to academics such as Sabine who devote their lives to the often painstaking work of translating these texts.

My blogpost includes some thoughts about one particular aspect of Sun’s work, a discussion of ‘fright’, and how I see this manifest in children in the clinic today.  For practitioners who are interested, I urge you to look at Sabine’s website (www.happygoatproductions.com) and to read her translations, which are available to buy on her site.

Here is the link to the blog post:

https://www.happygoatproductions.com/blog/2018/11/6/guest-post-rebecca-avern-on-children-and-fright

Acupuncture for Babies, Children and Teenagers has been published!

DB September 30, 2018

I am thrilled to let you know that my book was launched last week, almost exactly three years from the day I received an email from the publishers asking if I’d be interested in writing it!  It has been the most remarkable experience from start to finish – at times extremely challenging but ultimately exceedingly rewarding on a personal and professional level.

The book sold out at the British Acupuncture Council annual conference last weekend in Coventry, where I was speaking and the feedback has been wholly positive so far, which is wonderful.  Singing Dragon have done a fantastic job on the book which looks and feels beautiful, with glossy white pages and a deep purple cover!

My main aim in writing the book is to encourage more acupuncturists to treat children.  I  see everyday how immensely beneficial acupuncture can be for children of all ages with a wide range of conditions.  And treating them is the most rewarding work I can imagine.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, please click here.

Happy reading!!

My transatlantic interview experience!

DB August 13, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, with the help of technology that is way too deep for me to understand, I was interviewed by Jenny Dubrowsky in Chicago, about treating children and about my upcoming book.  Jenny is a successful and prolific acupuncturist/blogger/author.  Please check out her website www.tcm007.com.  Jenny has edited the interview, which (amazingly) felt like a relaxed chat with a friend in the same room, and posted some of the highlights.  Here are the links:

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