In 1971,
President Richard Nixon visited mainland China and when
he returned, brought with him a new acceptance of many
Chinese items, philosophies ... and cures. One of the
cures to come to the United States during this time
was the healing "magic" of acupuncture.
Acupuncture
referred to the method of precisely inserting needles
into various strategic points in the body as a means
of reducing and or eliminating an injury or illness.
It related to a Chinese medical philosophy that an imbalance
in the body's tch'i (the body's energy) could be readjusted
by tapping into the acupuncture points, of which more
than 900 existed.
Many
people claimed that acupuncture worked when no other
medical treatments or procedures seemed to help. Athletes
such as Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel and
San Francisco Giant slugger Willie McCovey received
acupuncture treatments, as did Alabama Governor George
Wallace. The treatment was used in various manners including
diet control and as an anesthetic. The medical community
stepped up and supported the practice including a member
of the New York State Board of Medicine and White House
Physician W. E. Lukash.
Eventually,
as often happens, the mainstream medical community sought
to discredit acupuncture, claiming that it only acted
as a placebo and that it could have detrimental effects.
Soon, state commissions sought to place stringent regulation
on acupuncture and many of the offices and treatment
centers began to close down.
Acupuncture
is still practiced in China and revered for its incredible
success. Perhaps, as more and more alternative healing
methods are embraced it will make its return in importance
in the west.
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