Spreading the word
Neither volcanic ash nor striking airlines could deter Dr Beverley de Valois in her mission to spread the word about using acupuncture in the management of lymphoedema
March saw the first plumes of Eyjafjallajökull whilst Beverley attended the Society of Acupuncture Research (SAR) conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, whose theme was ‘Translational Research in Acupuncture: Bridging Science, Practice & Community’.
Here she delivered her first presentation of the results of the exploratory study into using acupuncture and moxibustion to promote wellbeing and improve quality of life for cancer patients with lymphoedema, carried out at the LJMC.
SAR, an international conference for acupuncture researchers, was an excellent opportunity for Beverley to find out about a range of attitudes to using acupuncture in lymphoedema management from acupuncture practitioners and researchers from around the world.
Her return to the UK was quickly followed by attendance at the 2010 International Lymphoedema Framework Conference in Brighton.
In tune with the theme, ‘Lymphoedema Frameworks – a patient centred approach’, Beverley presented a poster illustrating the results of the patient-centred focus used in the study.
She met many lymphoedema specialists from around the world and was able to find out more about their perspectives on the use of acupuncture in the care of their patients.
Remaining in the UK during the worst of the volcanic upheavals, Beverley was delighted to be awarded the prize for Best Poster Presentation at the CAMStrand 2010 conference in Bristol in April. This recognition from the UK’s leading academic researchers in complementary medicine was a great honour.
With the worst of the air space havoc apparently over, Beverley presented the qualitative results of the study’s final focus groups at the 5th International Congress of Complementary Medicine Research, whose theme was ‘relevant research for the chronically ill’.
This visit to Tromso in Norway’s Arctic Circle gave Beverley the chance not only to further spread the word about her research but to experience the 24-hour daylight of the Arctic summer, and - alas – to be caught by the volcanic ash!
Home safely, Beverley will continue to work to spread the word about this study, funded by the National Institute of Health Research ‘Research for Innovation, Speculation and Creativity’ programme. Work is also beginning on designing the next phase of research into this innovative approach to a challenging area of health care.
Last updated: 23 July, 2010
