President Nixon, China, and Acupuncture Denise D’Fantis Cowichan Valley Acupuncture
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hen US press corps journalist James Reston of the New York Times received an acupuncture treatment in China for pain after an emergency appendectomy during President Nixon’s visit to China in 1971, he undoubtedly did not realize how his unanticipated medical experience would shape the way that acupuncture would be introduced to North America.
“Now, About My Operation in Peking”, (New York Times, July 26, 1971), an article Reston published following his unexpected foray into the world of Eastern Medicine, is credited for introducing Traditional Chinese Medicine, in particular the ancient practice of acupuncture, to mainstream society in North America. While acupuncture had been used in the US before 1971 (solely the result of Chinese immigrants bringing their ancient medicine to the US), it was not until Reston’s article was published in the New York Times that mainstream society learned of the strange practice of inserting needles into human skin and muscle to initiate a therapeutic response. Since then, acupuncture has slowly merged with western
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contemporary medicine across North America and Europe. In 1979 the World Health Organization held a symposium on acupuncture, where a list of 43 diseases that acupuncture can help with were presented. In 1997, along with several National Institutes of Health, the WHO produced a Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, summarizing the current understanding of acupuncture, based on the research that was available at the time. Currently, the WHO recommends acupuncture for over 100 conditions, including low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, knee pain, rheumatoid arthritis, acute and chronic gastritis, and morning sickness. At the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine, acupuncture is one of the most popular and utilized services offered, and at the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is offered by doctors trained in acupuncture and by licensed acupuncturists trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2008, British Columbia’s provincial health care plan, MSP, began reimbursing eligible citizens $23.00 per
acupuncture session received, (up to a maximum of 10 treatments per year), and as of 2016 British Columbians were most likely to have used an alternative therapy (including acupuncture) during their lifetime (89%) amongst all Canadian provinces. (Fraser Institute) In 2021, acupuncture continues to be a popular therapeutic modality, and almost all extended health benefits plans in British Columbia provide some level of coverage for acupuncture. As more people discover the effectiveness of acupuncture for a variety of ailments and conditions, acupuncture will likely continue to “complement” western medicine, providing patients with balanced and effective recommendations and treatments.
Cowichan Valley Acupuncture 103-255 (Unit 212) Ingram St, Duncan 250 715 5649
