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Acupuncture for Non-cardiac Chest Pain Project
| Patients with chest pain commonly present in
primary care, followed by referral to cardiac clinics in secondary care. However as many
as 50% of patients referred to such cardiac clinics are found to have not to have a
cardiac-related problem. The causes of
non-cardiac chest pain are not always clear, however there is evidence that they could be
musculo-skeletal, gastro-intestinal, respiratory or psychiatric, the commonest cause being
musculo-skeletal. Non-cardiac patients are usually referred back to primary care, where
they often continue to experience chest pain, with as many as three-quarters experiencing
limitations in activities, concern about the cause of their symptoms and dissatisfaction
with medical care. Acupuncture is increasingly being used to treat non-cardiac chest pain
despite limited evidence of its effectiveness. |
Key publications:
Dumville
JC, MacPherson H, Griffith K, Miles JN, Lewin RJ. Non-cardiac chest pain:
a retrospective cohort study of patients who attended a Rapid Access Chest Pain
Clinic. Fam Pract. 2007; 24(2):152-7.
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In
an initial research phase we surveyed patients who attended the Rapid Access
Chest Pain Unit at York Hospital, but whose chest pain was non-cardiac in
origin. The survey has captured vital information about this population,
including their diagnosis and treatment, their chest pain levels, and if still
in pain, their interest in receiving acupuncture. Our collaborators included Dr
Jo Dumville, a Research Fellow at the University of York, Dr Kathryn Griffith, a
GP and Clinical Assistant in Cardiology at the York District Hospital where she
works at the Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic, Bob Lewin, Professor of Cardiac
Rehabilitation and statistician Dr Jeremy Miles. We have published two papers
describing this research (Dumville et al 2007, MacPherson & Dumville 2007).
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