Abstract
A look at the in-flight map finds the aircraft now over New Mexico. Nevertheless, my thoughts are on the 25th Annual Symposium for Medical Acupuncture (organized by the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture) that just ended in San Diego. My 2-year tenure as the academy's president now completed, I was happy about the prospect of having spare time to concentrate on some overdue projects.
The Symposium was certainly an experience of information overload that was not unique to other symposiums, and its title “The Science and Art of Acupuncture” was its central theme. Numerous questions are asked of members in our profession. How do we best perform this ancient art? What is the relationship on a molecular level that explains our clinical events better? Are we in so deep that we cannot view acupuncture in relationship with nature, the world, and the universe? Does our own medical acupuncture culture bias us toward the rest of the world acupuncture community? Finally, what is the endpoint we seek? Approval from allopathic physicians that we are a legitimate science and, thus, insurance companies should reimburse us properly for our labors? How/when will we know that we have been triumphant? Some of the hints to potential answers were found in the symposium, talking to colleagues, participating in workshops, exploring the new gadgets, and listening to lectures.
As I continue to do my “mojo” on this flight, I have to admit that technological advancements have certainly influenced my life. As a young boy I experienced the excitement of dial telephones and the needed security of the dial tone. Television came along and the days of listening to the “Lone Ranger” on the radio were gone. The excitement of writing my papers on the TSR–80* and storing the data on the tape recorder was eclipsed when the hard drive emerged. Now we are into digital media and my iPad reminds me of stories my father told me of the magic ball that, when held close to your eyes, would let you see around the world. He almost had it right, and maybe he knew what was coming even before Steve Jobs did. He even told me to keep my two hands on the steering wheel as he probably anticipated smart phones and texting.
Somewhere in the 90s, I caught up with acupuncture—or did acupuncture catch up with me? I was a physician using all the advanced technology to care for my patients. As a radiation oncologist, I even treated patients on a cyclotron: neutron therapy! I remember my first memories about acupuncture: “How barbaric,” I thought, “using a 5000-year old technology to stick needles into people.” Did I retrograde? And yet, here we all are. None of my colleagues have asked for a “refund.” “Buckle-up and hold on” as the ride is not over! We will need all our present and future technologies to crack the code IF WE ARE FORTUNATE!
Footnotes
The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views of the author and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the United States Air Force Medical Corps, the Air Force at large, or the Department of Defense. The author indicates that he does not have any conflicts of interest.
*
The TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with hobbyists, home users, and small-businesses. Tandy Corporation's leading position in what Byte Magazine called the “1977 Trinity” (Apple, Commodore,and Tandy) had much to do with Tandy's retailing the computer through more than 3000 of its Radio Shack (Tandy in Europe) storefronts.