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Contrats to the above post for your study in acupuncture (the long study will really open your eyes as to how you view today's medical system). I think everybody here has their own personal opinions and viewpoints regarding on the use of acupuncture and I think that is great. The fact that the 5,000 year old practice of acupuncture has even made it's way into leading medical journals, med schools, hospitals/integrative clinics, and into this SDN chatroom is great (something that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago).
To answer the original posts question-
For me personally, under the guidance and supervision of a licensed, and experienced acupuncturist (one who has 30+ clinical experience, and is well-versed in the practice of Chinese herbs, tuina massage, tai chi and ((qi-gong)) <-- very important!) patients will experience significant improvements in their condition. These lists of conditions can be found in the research panel conducted by the NIH, as well as the findings of other health organizations (ie. WHO)-and also if you have the opportunity of watching alongside the practice of a Chinese medical practitioner.
But believing whether if acupuncture works is a different matter. Your understanding and appreciation of acupuncture as a time-tested and effective medical system can only come about, if you yourselves are the patient, not the observer. To me, this is a major stubling block for many, but once you get over it, your well on your way.
As far as whether if I will learn about acupuncture and plan on using it in practice-without a doubt, yes. Not to withstand the strength of allopathic medicine, but having had the opportunity to work alongside a Chinese medical practitioner for 17 years, and having seen the limits of conventional medicine and the toll it has taken on many patients, I think that many hospitals and physicians will slowly start to embrace acupuncture, and incoporate it into their
practice even more (although many physicians and hospitals have already started to do that today) Learning acupuncture may not be the norm, but it will definetely make you fluent in two arts of medicine and make you an even more versatile physician.
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"Walk on right side of the road, safe; walk on left side of the road, safe; walk in the middle of the road, get squished like grape."
