A.P.A.E. - WFAS 2005 International Symposium of Acupuncture

About A.P.A.E.

The A.P.A.E – Associação Portuguesa de Acupunctura Eléctrica (Portuguese Association of Electric Acupuncture) was established in 1973 by Mitsuharu Tsuchiya and a group of Conventional Medicine Doctors to teach and promote Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine amongst the class of medical doctors in Portugal . Above all its principal objective has been to foster a new type of medicine that integrates Oriental Medicine and Conventional Medicine. The first of its kind in Europe , the association benefits from a modest membership of nearly 100 certified practitioners, researchers and medical doctors.

The A.P.A.E was officially accepted as a W.F.A.S . member in the 4 th of December 1990 , representing Portugal in the world arena. Its main activities include the exchange of academic and professional knowledge between Portugal and Japan , the organization of national Acupuncture symposiums and the participation in International Acupuncture Conferences representing Portugal . Furthermore, the A.P.A.E. has been involved in the publication of research papers at the national level. Its current and primary focus will be to continue the promotion of genuine and safe Acupuncture practice in Portugal , with special focus in teaching towards MDs. The A.P.A.E. is currently the only Association in Portugal to be certified by the official Board of Medical Doctors.

President	Mitsuharu Tsuchiya
Honorary President	Schohachi Tanzawa (Former President of AllJapan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society)
Scientific Advisory	Schohachi Tanzawa
Committee	João Paulo Pereira de Almeida
	Artur Mota da Silva
	Joaquim Lopes de Almeida
	José A. F. Pires Bento
	Maria João Cascais
	Maria João Dantas
	Richard da Silva da Silva
	Carlos H. f. Crisóstomo
	Carlos Manitto Torres
	Augusto Camacho Vieira
	João Pisco
Committee Members	António Francisco C. G. Miranda
	Fernando Luso Soares
	Luis Filipe G. Monteiro
	Luisa Pereira S. G. Santos Moura
	Maria Assunção Real
	Norberto Gomes
	Raluca Cachadinha
	Jakaira Devillart
	Ricardo Vasconcelos S. Moura
Treasurer	Paulo Silva
Social Program Team	Maria João Dantas / Carlos Manitto Torres

We have the honour to belong to the M.D. doctors group of the A.P.A.E. - Associação Portuguesa de Acupunctura Eléctrica, whose policy, untill today, has been to promote the teaching of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Electric Acupuncture to the medical class only.

The recognition and the practice of Acupuncture has been growing in Portugal and the contribution of our Association with the support of Dr. Mitsuharu Tsuchiya has always been very strong.

Together with Dr. Mitsuharu Tsuchiya, we have been investigating, developing and made several presentations at WFAS Academic Congresses and International Symposiums, focusing the importance of Acupuncture to treat: Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson Disease, Behçet Syndrome, Atopic Dermatitis, Sjogren Syndrome, Ophtalmologic pathologies, and sports injuries. The association of Acupuncture with the high frequency method has showed to be very effective.

For a long time one of our main objectives is to prove that Western Medicine and Eastern Medicine must be complementar and not opposite. Our main concern is and will always be the well-being of those who look for our help and we also think that public health care systems must also give their support for those who need an alternative method of treatment.

We are convinced that during this Symposium we will all have the chance to exchange experiences, knowledge, informations and we sincerely expect a lot fom the scientific communications, posters and mainly from the workshops to be presented.

We have the greatest pleasure to welcome all colleagues, acupuncture doctors and researchers who give their contribution for the development and approach of both Medicines Western and Eastern Medicines, creating new ways, giving new worlds to the World.

The M.D. doctors group of the A.P.A.E. - Associação Portuguesa de Acupunctura Eléctrica