Acupuncture in the Media

I'm no media watch-dog, but I find it interesting to see how the media depicts my profession.

The facts are that there is a growing number of acupuncture professionals in the U.S. (about 30,000), with a concomitant growing number of people who access acupuncture services each year. Health insurance companies provide coverage for acupuncture treatments (depending on the state), and acupuncture providers are licensed as independent health professionals in the majority of states (44 or more), and as primary care providers in some (like Florida). Acupuncture services have been offered (by volunteers) & utilized in disaster situations (NYC after 9-11, post-Katrina NOLA, post-earthquake Haiti and other places).

A (very) casual reading of the New York Times this week reveals 2 articles about acupuncture.

On Sunday, the Times Style magazine had a brief article about a high-priced acupuncturist in the New York area and his facial rejuvenation treatments. The article featured a pretty model with about 2 dozen needles sticking out of her face.

On Monday, there was an article about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which affects a small percentage of children (~1%), and causes them to feel tired, achy and have racing heartbeats with the slightest exertion. The article presented a specific case of a teenager in South Carolina and his 2-year bout with the problem, and a list of suggested treatments (salt, sleep, water, medications, exercise). At the very end of the article (the penultimate paragraph), the author notes almost off-handedly that the teenager in question was helped by acupuncture treatments.

So, what's UP with that? Are we more media-palatable when our treatments are used for stress relief and wrinkles than for actual health care?

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