ICMART is a non-profit making international organisation comprising more than 80 medical acupuncture societies worldwide. It includes over 30,000 doctors practising acupuncture and related techniques.
Since 1983, 18 World Congresses or International Symposia have been sponsored by ICMART (Vienna, Rome, Prague, Budapest, Istanbul, Copenhagen Miyazaki, Munich, Bath, Sofia, Cyprus, Riga, Berlin, Edinburgh, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Washington, Barcelona), with lectures, posters, workshops, and social activities. Dynamic teamwork between the host association and active members of the ICMART Board ensure success at these Congresses.
Every year ICMART guides, helps, sponsors directly or indirectly and participates through the active presence of one or more members of the Board in several national meetings with international participation or international meetings, representing a global continuity of interest by and for ICMART.
At these Congresses and Symposia, ICMART prizes are given as well as sponsoring companies’ prizes for the best lectures and posters.
ICMART promotes the concept of evidence-based medicine with respect to efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness applied to acupuncture and related techniques.
The ICMART Website contains information on the member associations and links to their own Websites; plus further Congress information and abstracts.
Contacts with WHO and contribution to the International Guideline on Trial Methodology and standardising acupuncture nomenclature.
Publication of an ICMART Letter with information on the work of ICMART and on the life of acupuncture in the world.
The feeling of belonging to a large group with a common interest in acupuncture and related techniques, as well as with a unique spirit of “camaraderie” and friendship.
A network of correspondence between Societies.
The creation of an Education Chapter has led to Core Aspects of Training and to an ICMART Diploma.
The possibility of downloading the journal “Acupuncture in Medicine” published by the British Medical Acupuncture Society, which is listed on Medline.
ICMART represents the only truly international medical acupuncture organization. However, we are not a professional union, and we do not directly deal with local legislations at present. We feel that, due to a historical consistency in medical training, education and practise of these techniques in most countries, it is usually safer when applied by a practitioner with a medical degree (or veterinarian, or dentist). An orthodox medical diagnosis is made prior to treatment with acupuncture and/or related techniques.
The general orientation of our members is a scientific approach through evidence-based medicine even though much data is still in its infancy. Traditional approaches are also very much respected and included in the scope of ICMART. Evidence based approaches can equally be applied to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, although there is still much work to be done in this field.