Cultural Competency

Practiced for over 2,500 years in China, where it originated, acupuncture is an important part of the holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture was first introduced in Europe about 200 years ago by Jesuit priests who served as Catholic missionaries in the East. Most of its modem popularity in America and Europe followed the normalization of relations between the West and the Peoples Republic of China (Pfeifer, 1988). At first, acupuncture caused quite a stir among culturally-biased skeptics in the Western medical community, but over time it has come to be recognized as a legitimate medical technique that should be integrated into standard medical practice for a number of conditions.

According to traditional Chinese Medicine, health is achieved through the harmonious balance between the opposing forces of yin (spirit) and yang (blood) (Acupuncture, Medicomm). The attraction between them creates an energy known as qi (pronounced chee) and...
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