The 1960s and 1970s were a turbulent time in American History.  The United States was finally beginning to acknowledge and correct the injustices subjugated the Black community.  The draft was being utilized to  build the military so that it could fight a hugely unpopular war in Vietnam.  The country was in a state of painful growth and change.

It was in this time frame that Acupuncture made its first significant appearance in the US.  Individuals were willing to try new things.

In 1972, Acupuncture returned with President Nixon from his landmark trip to China.  A reporter travelling in the presidential company had an emergency appendectomy while there and Acupuncture was used to manage his post-operative pain.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine in which methodically inserted needles, placed strategically along lines called meridians, are used to balance the flow of energy or "qi".  By balancing the flow of qi, practitioners are able to restore patients to health.

There are, as of August 2015, 18,000 licensed acupuncturists in the United States. According to the National Health Information Survey of 2007, 6.8% respondents reported having used acupuncture at least once in their lifetimes (Upchurch and Rainisch, 2014).  Of respondents in the same survey, 1.5% had used acupuncture within the last year.

Hospitals and clinics are incorporating acupuncture into their treatment plans.  In 2010, the Mayo clinic, a teaching hospital in Minnesota, reported 405 patients utilizing acupuncture as a part of their treatment (Pang et al., 2015).

What should Acupuncture be used for?

In the Mayo clinic study, the most common diagnosis among patients using acupuncture treatments was back pain (Pang et al., 2015).  The WHO supports the use of acupuncture in the treatment of over 100 conditions (Eliopoulos, 2014).  A few of the conditions treated include:

• Post-operative nausea and vomiting
• addiction
• common cold
• acute gastritis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• low back pain
• constipation

Helpful Links

The NIH and CDC recommend the following site for helpful information about acupuncture, including where to find a provider and answers to frequently asked questions.   American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine  is the National body responsible for the licensing and certification of practitioners of acupuncture.  Their website has great information regarding the requirements for certification and licensure, where to find a licensed and certified acupuncturist, and links to studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture.

Dr. Dennis Lee of the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine presents information on how acupuncture works in the following short video.

Annotated Bibliography

References

114ᵗʰ congress H.R. 3849 introduced in the house, bill text (2015). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/congressional/view/app-gis/billtext/114_hr_3849_ih . This source is the actual bill introduced in Congress addressing acupuncture use among veterans, active duty service members, medicare subscribers.

Clarke, T. C., Black, L. I., Stussman, B. J., Barnes, P. M., & Nahin, R. L. (2015a). Trends in the use of complementary health approaches among adults: United states, 2002-2012. National Health Statistics Reports, (79), 1. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25671660 .  This source interprets the data regarding CAM usage from the 2002, 2007, and 2012 National Health Information Surveys.

Eliopoulos, C. (2013). Invitation to holistic health : A guide to living a balanced life (3rd ed. ed.) Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved from http://replace-me/ebraryid=10869905 . This book gives detailed information on the use and benefits of CAM.

Faircloth, A. (2015). Acupuncture: History from the yellow emperor to modern anesthesia practice. AANA Journal, 83(4), 289. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26390748 . This journal article provides the reader with a concise history of acupuncture and how it is used today with a particular focus on anesthesia uses.

GARRY ABRAMS. (1986, Sep 24,). New practitioners getting the point of acupuncture number of schools is growing in U.S. despite controversial technique's limitations. Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/292415383 . This newspaper article provides a look at the public's response to acupuncture and the questions that it forced people to ask.

Lao, L., Hamilton, G. R., Fu, J., & Berman, B. M. (2003). Is acupuncture safe? A systematic review of case reports. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 9(1), 72. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12564354 .  This study reviews the reports of incidences of negative side effects and injury occurring in CAM usage.

Pang, R., Wang, S., Tian, L., Lee, M. C., Do, A., Cutshall, S. M., . . . Chon, T. Y. (2015). Complementary and integrative medicine at mayo clinic. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 43(8), 1503. doi:10.1142/S0192415X15500858 . This study reviews the usage of various CAM modalities at the Mayo Clinic.

Park, J., Linde, K., Manheimer, E., Molsberger, A., Sherman, K., Smith, C., . . . Schnyer, R. (2008). The status and future of acupuncture clinical research. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.), 14(7), 871-881. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.SAR-4  . This journal article reflects on the progress the acupuncture community has made in terms of being embraced by the medical mainstream.

Skarlovnik, A., Janić, M., Lunder, M., Turk, M., & Šabovič, M. (2014). Coenzyme Q10 supplementation decreases statin-related mild-to-moderate muscle symptoms: A randomized clinical study. Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 20, 2183-2188. doi:10.12659/MSM.890777 .  This study reviews use of CAM treatment of statin related muscle pain.

Upchurch, D. M., & Rainisch, B. W. (2014). A sociobehavioral wellness model of acupuncture use in the united states, 2007. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(1), 32-39. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0120 This study examines who in the US uses Acupuncture and why they use it.