Originally published September 12 2005
Alternative medicine booms, especially in California
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
As an increasing number of people turn to alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, alternative medicine has become a $3.8 billion industry, and Oakland, Calif. is leading the way with more than 160 licensed practitioners, many of them in Chinatown.
Christie had driven from Blackhawk to Berkeley's Holistic Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic, where acupuncturist Daniel Choe has treated patients for more than five years.
After one session, Christie said he was in less pain and was back at work the next day.
From Antioch to San Jose, people like Benedict and Christie are making the East Bay their new Mecca for pain treatment thanks to a plethora of acupuncturists, especially in Oakland's Chinatown.
A recent survey by the National Institutes of Health shows 36 percent of adults have tried alternative medicine at some point.
Many dislike Western medicine's insurance red tape, pharmaceutical side effects and skyrocketing cost.
There are at least two dozen nationally licensed acupuncturists in Oakland, mostly in Chinatown, with dozens more licensed by the state.
Along with an estimated 50 to 100 independent operators --- some licensed, some not --- throughout the city, it seems there's a clinic on every block.
Acupuncturists insert needles from 1/4 inch to 1 inch below the skin, depending on the problem, and the patient and acupuncturist's preferences.
Placement of acupuncture needles must be precise, in accordance with traditional Chinese medicine's philosophy of body pathways, or meridians.
The thin acupuncture needles used by virtually all practitioners are sterile and disposable, and some "three hair-widths" thick.
Lee's Acupuncture and Herb Clinic stands in marked contrast to antiseptic hospital clinics.
An Asian couple had driven from Sunnyvale to see Lee, based on the recommendation of a friend of a friend.
Despite acupuncture's growing legitimacy and popularity, skepticism regarding its effectiveness runs deep in the medical community.
Dr. Wallace Sampson, a clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University, considers acupuncture an "ill-advised" and "unscientific" practice that should not be considered a profession.
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