Acupuncture and Moxibustion are useful traditional medicine that are widely applicable for various kinds of health care services including health maintenance, health promotion or palliative care. Conventional medicine has been developed focusing mainly on curing diseases. However, recent changes in the medical structure that is characterized by an increase in the elderly and chronic diseases emphasize the importance of preventive or amenity medicine or medicine that focuses more on welfare services. Since a unitary system of modern medicine was not suitable to respond to these demands, the necessity of medicine that cares for patients with the view point of welfare has emerged. Also, from the viewpoint of holistic medicine, traditional therapies as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have been attracting public attention and extending its field of application. These changes suggest the importance of an integrated approach from the viewpoint of patient oriented, holistic, and welfare medicine. We herein discuss the 'Role of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Welfare'. In order to understand the situation, we need a common point of view to mediate between welfare and medicine with the knowledge of the relationship between these systems. We should discuss how acupuncture and moxibustion medicine can bear the role as well as its possibilities. Outlines of the presentations by invited specialists are as following;Dr. Tadakazu Kumatani will present the relationship between medicine and welfare. He will introduce social workers who support care-at-home or rehabilitation by assisting the patients and their families to solve or regulate economic, psychological and social problems in the health care system as well as their histories. Dr. Ippei Watanabe will state the idea and viewpoint that is common between welfare and acupuncture and moxibustion, and Dr. Tadasu Matsumoto will introduce practical applications of acupuncture and moxibustion in welfare and will state the usefulness and possibilities of acupuncture and moxibustion in the field.
When we view society in the future, medicine is expected to be developed in cooperation with welfare systems. It is necessary for specialists in each field to cooperate. Also, it is necessary to develop a welfare-medical system to provide sufficient services in compliance with demands of each patient, which is based on a firm idea. We would like to suggest role of acupuncture in welfare systems as well as its future and ideas.