[Introduction]The number of foreign residents in Japan reached 1.7%of the national population at the end of 2010, and currently the number of foreign permanent residents is increasing. Althogh this “domestic globalization”has been in progress for some time, the health status and needs of foreign residents for acupuncture treatment are not known to acupuncture practitioners in Japan. The purpose of this study is to reveal the proportion of potential demand for acupuncture by examining the consultation records for medical informations from foreigners living in Japan.
[Method]From all the records of telephone consultation for medical information by foreign residents from all over the country to AMDA International Medical Information Center in 2010, we extracted the consultations associated with acupuncture.
[Results]Among a total of 2,172 consultations, 6calls were associated with acupuncture (0.3%). Most of the foreign residents who made these consultations were from South America. 4calls were requests for information about acupuncture clinics from foreigners suffering from orthopedic disease or symptoms (66.7%). With respect to the consultion languages, 4consulters accepted inquiries in Japanese (66.7%).
[Discussion]Foreign residents who expect acupuncture treatment are not common, but it became obvious that some foreigners have difficulty finding acupuncture clinics and information in Japan. There were some cases that should have been applicable to acupuncture, but were instead directed to other diagnosis departments or hospitals. One reason for this consequence seems to be the lack of information among foreign residents about the indications and therapeutic effects of acupuncture. Considering the influx of foreigners and the aging of foreign residents, the possibility of foreigners reciving acupuncture treatment may be developed by appropriate distribution of information.