Bologna AMAB – 35th ICMART Congress
Many thanks to our Italian friends from AMAB (Associazione Medici Agopunturi Bolognesi) Carlo Maria Giovanardi, Umberto Mazzanti, Alexandra Poini, Alessandra Bonzi and their technical team. They “ticked all the boxes”: remarkable setting – Savoia Regency – on the suburbs of the city of Bologna (luminous autumn, 23°), perfect organization, quality and diversity of the conferences, open and rich discussion. Three hundred participants face-to-face. Among them : 54 vets; 80 conferences, 4 workshops, 3 forums, 28 posters and eleven partners, such as the Italian Ministry of Health. The nice Gala Dinner was embellished by a dance, Pizzica del Salento, from the south of Italy, and strong enough to move everyone (even me!). We felt once again and with happiness the warm atmosphere that prevailed before Covid 19.
Renewal of the ICMART Board
During the congress, the General Assembly validated the renewal of the ICMART Board:
entry of Nam Dong-Woo, representative of South Korea; Silvia Elenkova as treasurer in succession of Petja Pielher, Chin Chan as Vice-President. I was elected as new President succeeding to Hedi Luxenburger; Konstantina Theodoratou is our General Secretary.
ICMART Book
During the congress the first book signed by members of ICMART Board was launched. The title is: “Benefits of Acupuncture to Medicine and Care, Knowledge and Experience in the World”. Many thanks to Paola Poli, member of the Board, who aggregated all the chapters and to NOI Edizioni, (Network Olistico Internationale), Milano, for the realization of the English and Italian publication.
The 13 chapters and 2 appendixes give a panorama of the rich field of Medical Acupuncture. In each domain, each author gives his own approach. If Acupuncture were a star, the reader would see 15 glittering branches and would appreciate the “third way”: association of western medicine and oriental practice.
Medical acupuncture
As for me, I am proud to be a medical acupuncturist: with only one tool, the acupuncture iron needle, we are efficient in so many diseases. This medicine coming originally from the old antique China, then extended to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, arrived in western Europe about a century ago. It is nowadays successfully integrated to contemporary scientific medicine.
We, ICMART members, follow and extend the remarkable work of our predecessors and Masters.
Transparency
As for me, the key word for success is transparency. We must explain what we do, like for any medical activity, follow the state of science and acquired knowledge, and must be as transparent as our non-acupuncturist colleagues.
Human Qi
Qi, “energy” for Soulié de Morant, “blow, breath, steam” for Ricci dictionary, qi in human body is the same qi as the one that animates the Universe, from Higgs’s boson to the billions of galaxies! Our iron needles and their manipulation move and regulate the qi for the benefit of the patient.
Non-pharmacological, Research
Acupuncture, using no drugs, is the most ecologic form of curing. Acupuncture, moreover, is at the forefront of Research: working on the neuromodulators of pain and analgesia, for example, has been accelerated by the effectiveness of acupuncture and electroacupuncture in these areas.
Diagnostic, Hippocrates
The bases of acupuncture come from China and were born several thousand years ago, but its current development is scientific. Even if the medical procedure is made through Chinese references, the diagnostic of diseases has also to be established in western forms.
We must remember the sentence attributed to Hippocrates: “Without diagnostic, every treatment is irrational”.
Patrick Sautreuil, MD, new elected President