HISTORY OF ACUPUNCTURE IN THE UNITED STATES
January 14th, 2008
Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, acupuncture continues to be practiced today as an effective therapy for several health conditions. An awareness of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine in the United States began in the early 1970s with Richard Nixon’s trip to China. In 1971, a US press corps member required an emergency appendectomy in China during preparation for President Nixon’s visit and was given acupuncture for pain relief during recovery.
The experience was described in the New York Times and led to fact-finding tours by teams of US physicians to examine and assess acupuncture and its effectiveness as a form of surgical analgesia. In Washington D.C., the first jurisdiction to legalize the practice of acupuncture formed. In 1972, the first United States clinic opened as the Acupuncture Center of Washington. The center drew several hundred people daily to receive this new form of medicine. Staffed by New York City Oriental acupuncturists, the clinic treated over 250 people daily.
The medical establishment attempted to stop acupuncture practice by taking the city of Washington, D.C. to court. The case was lost in favor of the acupuncture practitioners. Acupuncture became an acceptable therapy in the United States upon issue of an NIH consensus conference report stating that there was sufficient evidence to support acupuncture’s effectiveness for a range of conditions.
In the mid-1980s, a national acupuncture examination began, which many states used to determine licensure. There are now over 40 accredited acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine schools in the United States that have established national accreditation standards. More than 40 states have legalized acupuncture and TCM practice. Acupuncture has since been recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of over 40 health conditions. After more than 30 years of clinical usage, acupuncture has become a modality for not only pain relief but also for treatment of many diseases.
An estimated 14,000 licensed acupuncturists practice in the United States today. For more information about acupuncture for wellness and health maintenance contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.
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