A Little Acupuncture History

I am willing to bet that the vast majority of people who have never experienced acupuncture, or who have never been properly educated about the medicine, at least know this much about it: acupuncture (and Chinese herbal medicine too) is absolutely phenomenal for relieving pain. However, as my patients know, and I am sure many of the folks reading this are learning, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are capable of treating virtually any medical condition that you can think of--from pain to urinary tract infections. 

Would you like to know one of the reasons why acupuncture treatments and pain relief have such a strong connection, aside from the fact that it works really well? In 1971, New York Times journalist, James Reston, was visiting China with his wife. While he was there, he had to undergo emergency surgery to have his appendix removed. After the surgery, he had a lot of discomfort, pain, and bloating in his abdomen. Acupuncture doctors placed needles in his arms and legs at specific points, his symptoms subsided, and never returned. When he returned home, he wrote about his experience in the Times. This was one of the United States' first nationwide exposures to Chinese medicine. You can read his article for yourself, HERE.