Acupuncture is an ancient system of manipulating human energy pathways with thin needles to balance the body. It came to our shores with the Chinese immigrants in the 1800s, but was still illegal in the USA in the 1970’s. Then, a bursting appendix, deep in the heart of China, exploded a media sensation in the New York Times in 1971. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, James Reston, traveled to Beijing ahead of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit in 1972. There he underwent emergency appendix surgery and was given acupuncture to relieve intense post-op pain. Reston’s New York Times front page account of the mysterious nature of Chinese acupuncture ignited a media frenzy. However, it took decades of a hard-won fight for legalization, education and licensing to allow acupuncture to become established in the USA. Many insurance companies pay for acupuncture treatments as an alternative medicine now. Also, acupuncture is a typical service at the animal rescue centers.
Admission/Cost: $5 at the door
Location:
San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum
404 Third Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
Dates and times:
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Free admission on the 2nd Sunday of every month.
