\n<\/p>\n
Since March, about 60 patients with lower back pain have received acupuncture at the unit. An initial analysis of 30 patients found their pain scores fell by more than 50 per cent on average after treatment, Ms Seah said.<\/p>\n
Each session lasts about 45 minutes and is offered as a one-off treatment during the patient’s stay. Those who require further acupuncture can be referred to SGH’s outpatient clinic after discharge.<\/p>\n
CGH has taken a similar approach. It has offered acupuncture at its emergency department short-stay unit since May 2022 for pain and acute symptom management. In January this year, acupuncture became part of the unit’s care protocol for patients with lower back pain.<\/p>\n
While acupuncture itself is not new to Singapore’s public hospitals, what is changing is its role within them.<\/p>\n
SGH established its acupuncture unit in 1998, with lower back and neck pain making up the bulk of cases. Last year, they accounted for 49.6 per cent and 23.6 per cent of new patients seen by the hospital’s acupuncture service respectively, Ms Seah said.<\/p>\n
The hospital is now increasingly shifting its acupuncture resources towards inpatient care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
About 4 per cent of its acupuncture patients are treated for stroke, while others receive treatment for neurological and gastrointestinal conditions, insomnia and anxiety, as well as side effects from cancer treatment.<\/p>\n
In March, the hospital began taking acupuncture directly to patients’ bedsides, starting in a rehabilitation ward where many patients are recovering from stroke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Previously, inpatients generally had to be brought to the outpatient clinic for treatment, Ms Seah said.<\/p>\n
The new arrangement has made it easier for acupuncturists to collaborate with doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, she added. Referrals also come from neurology and internal medicine wards.<\/p>\n
Since October 2024, SGH has also provided acupuncture at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, including supportive care for patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From January to June this year, SGH recorded about 4,800 outpatient acupuncture visits and 390 inpatient visits.<\/p>\n
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) has seen a similar evolution. When its TCM service was introduced in 2008, treatment focused largely on pain and musculoskeletal conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today, it also supports patients with neurological conditions, cancer-related symptoms and treatment side effects, stress management needs and general wellness concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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