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. In this study we explored the extent that patients with non-cardiac chest pain continued to have pain after consulting the Rapid Access Chest Pain Unit at York Hospital, and the interest among patients in consulting an acupuncturist if they continued to have residual pain.

Key publications

MacPherson H, Dumville JC. Acupuncture as a potential treatment for non-cardiac chest pain – a survey. Acupuncture in Medicine 2007;25(1-2):18-21.

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.