Mark Fielding Acupuncture
Details of My Masters Degree Dissertation (MSc)
The project aims to answer the question:
"Can acupuncture help sufferers of stress ?"
(or, "Can traditional acupuncture decrease elevated saliva cortisol/DHEA levels ?")
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If you are interested - please see an extract from my DRP (Detailed Research Proposal) - shown below :
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This piece of research work plans to answer the question:
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“Does traditional acupuncture reduce elevated saliva cortisol /DHEA Levels ?"
These two hormones are the main stress-related hormones, and increase when
an individual is subjected to emotional and/or physical stress, particularly
when the situation is chronic.
The Collins Dictionary of Medicine (2004: 606) defines ‘stress’ as:
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"Any physical, social or psychological factor or combination of factors that
acts on the individual so as to threaten his or her well-being and produce a
physiological, often defensive, response."
These demands, and particularly work-related stress (both physical and
mental), and its resultant medical complaints, are a modern day phenomenon.
Over the past two decades the levels of reported cases of stress have risen
considerably, and is affecting the health of many sections of society. This
can be attributed to many factors, including:
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Increased working hours;
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Family demands being precariously balanced with work commitments;
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‘Downsizing’ in the workplace – leaving less people to do more;
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The IT revolution over the past twenty years - increasing work throughput.
Stress is currently a major health concern, particularly in western Europe
and the USA. This is clearly obvious in the workplace, as according to
Bunting (2005: 184),
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‘(Within the UK) stress has risen across the board in all occupations, and
is now cited by 36 per cent of professionals, 34 per cent of managers and 22
per cent of skilled workers.’
To put this into context, the loss in general productivity within the UK
workplace is significant, as supported by data reported by the official
Health and Safety Executive (HSE website – 25th June 2006):
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‘A total of 12.8 million working days were lost to stress, depression and
anxiety in 2004/5.’
It also has a serious negative impact on lifestyle and quality of life, and
the effects of stress can make a sufferer’s life ridden with anxiety and
discomfort. If treatment could be developed and administered which could
assist to reduce these stress levels, then this would be beneficial to
society in general, and to individuals suffering from high levels of stress
in particular.
Over the past decade, a considerable amount of study has been carried out
into better understanding, diagnosing, and treating stress and its related
conditions. This project intends to determine whether acupuncture can
beneficially alter stress hormone levels, in order to attempt to improve
quality of life, and general health for sufferers of stress, and
stress-related conditions.
The objective of the work is to attempt to measure stress hormone levels in
a patient receiving acupuncture, via saliva-based testing methods, and to
determine whether these levels are reduced following treatment with
acupuncture. This is an intrinsically interesting and valuable research
project, as it enables a direct, objective, and qualitative measure. It
enables a clear correlation to be made between the effects of traditional
acupuncture and stress which, by its nature, is a highly subjective
condition.
The subject area is appealing, as it is an area of personal experience and
interest, mainly for the following reasons:
o Author has direct and indirect personal experience of the condition;
o Acupuncture shows potential as an appropriate treatment, as it is
frequently claimed that acupuncture can benefit patients suffering
stress-related conditions;
o Outcomes can be measured objectively and with quantitative levels using
saliva testing;
o These stress-related conditions appear to be on the increase within the
general population;
o This kind of work can contribute to the body of knowledge and develop the
evidence base for acupuncture;
o It may provide a rationale for treating various stress-related conditions
such as: adrenal fatigue, deep fatigue, ME, etc.
o To build a greater personal understanding of the subject area. This is in order to
be able to carry such knowledge and skills into personal acupuncture
practice and ultimately relieving patients suffering.
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