Acupuncture Works

Ashley Boyes, a 27-year-old American stroke victim, traveled to China for treatment, reported Brenda Duran in the January 2013 issue of Acupuncture Today. After seeing 9000 Needles, the documentary about a body builder who recovers from a stroke at the First Teaching Hospital in Tianjin, Ashley’s family decided to bring her there when she did not show improvement after surgery and extensive physical therapy. According to Ms. Duran, Tianjin is the largest traditional medical facility in China, with thousands flocking to get care there. In one day, a patient may receive five hours of various treatments by many different doctors.

In the article, Ashley’s mother, Esther House, said she had a marked improvement after her third acupuncture session there when she recovered some movement in her arm and said the word ‘mango’. Over the weeks she said her results were “dramatic” as she went from “not being able to make a sound to putting words together and moving. After her time in Tianjian, Ashley’s mother was quoted in Acupuncture Today, “It truly is shocking that back home the medical community doesn’t seem to accept this treatment—either they are skeptical or have no opinion. This treatment should be on the rise, this could be the future.”