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Needle knife acupuncture may be alternative to surgery
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Professor Huang Shu (center) during a micro-surgical treatment workshop, also known as needle knife acupuncture, at the Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni hotel in Central Jakarta on Nov. 19. (JP/Jessicha Valentina)
T
he founder of the Beijing Huangshu Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Professor Huang Shu, has introduced micro-surgical treatment, also known as needle knife acupuncture, to Indonesian doctors.
The workshop at the Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni Hotel was hosted by the University of Indonesia's (UI) School of Medicine in collaboration with the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI).
The treatment was developed by Huang Shu 20 years ago by combining elements of traditional Chinese and western medicine. What sets this technique apart from conventional acupuncture is the use of a thicker and larger needle. The method is believed to be able to cure many diseases, including herniated disk, spine problems, fatigue and tennis elbow and help with post stroke or accident recovery.
"For Hernia Nucleus Pulposus, the success rate is relatively high," said Huang Shu during his presentation on Nov. 19.
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IDI Central Jakarta chairman Dr. Kemas Abdurrohim told The Jakarta Post that needle knife acupuncture was mostly performed in an operation room. “The doctor works with a radiologist to find the disease. Only a medical acupuncture specialist can study the treatment,” explained Kemas.
The advantages of needle knife acupuncture include the small size of surgery scars and the fact that the treatment only requires local anesthesia, which also helps to keep costs down.
“[Needle knife acupuncture] makes the patient more comfortable, as it has fewer side effects,” stressed Kemas.
However, the treatment has yet to become available in Indonesia. “We introduce it [for the first time] to Indonesian doctors today. Maybe a medical acupuncture specialist can go to China to learn and the treatment can be adopted here,” said Kemas. (kes)
