The origins of acupuncture.

Sir, This year Sahlgrens University hospital in Gothenburg has launched a geriatric unit specializing in alternative / complementary medicine. Avd 606 SU/Högsbo is a normal somatic geriatric ward, working with a wide range of disease in the elderly, stroke rehabilitation not included. The unit honours the geriatric departments guidelines of evidence based medicine and patient empowerment. It does however try to widen the scope by providing massage, TENS, acupuncture and Qi Gong to patients. All members of the staff have been, and are educated to meet this end. Qi Gong exercises are due to begin this month [March 2002]. It isfar too early to evaluate this novel unit yet, but one spin-off deserves mentioning – we had no trouble in enrolling a full, experienced and highly motivated crew, something which should amaze the despairing press gangs of the Swedish health services.