ABSTRACT
Acupuncture is a medical therapy that uses the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin of certain points of the body, called acupuncture points, at different depths to treat a patient’s syndrome or disease. Acupuncture dates back 4000 years in China since the Stone Age. It was adopted worldwide over the centuries: by Korea in AD 541, by Japan in AD 562 and by Europe in the sixteenth century1. The first person who introduced acupuncture into the USA is believed to be Dr Franklin Bache, grandson of Benjamin Franklin, in 18251. However, acupuncture was not acknowledged by the USA until 1971, when, following China’s ping-pong diplomacy, Henry A. Kissinger made his historical visit to Beijing. This not only resulted in President Nixon’s visit to China the following year, but also introduced acupuncture to the USA through popular media and the medical profession. The story tells of Kissinger’s visit, during which a staff member was treated with acupuncture when he suffered from post-surgical complications. When he returned from his trip, he wrote of his experience in the New York Times2. As a result, more and more doctors visited China to see it with their own eyes. Dr Rosenfield was one of them.
