OMT & Medical Acupuncture

I've just finished the Introductory weekend of the CME course for physicians on Medical Acupuncture. (8 months of self study and 2 weeks of clinical intensive to follow before I am certified to be called a physician acupuncturist) There were about 100 physicians, DO's and MD's alike. The physicians included family doctors, anethesiologists, neurologist, surgeons, physiatrists, psychiatrists, internists, sports medicine doctors, ER doctors, dentists, and podiatrists. We learn acupuncture physiology and philosophy as it was taught in the 2nd century BC in China: the original medical acupuncture taught to Chinese physicians as main ways of treating ailments and maintaining health. The more recent permutations of acupuncture done by non-physicians have been popularized after Chairman Mao took over China and decentralized intellectual education. Various 'schools' of acupuncture became available by the Mao regime to equipe 'common health workers' with 'formulas' of acupuncture to treat village peoples. These 'new schools' do not focus much on acupuncture physiology/embryology/anatomy/pathology like the traditional medical acupuncture as it was taught since Huang-Di, thousands of years ago.
As I was learning about the 'original' way of acupuncture, we went through the fascinating physiology and order to approach diagnosis of disease and health using the 'biopsychotype' make up of the person, doing a physical exam and obtaining a good history of present illness, and examing the tongue and the radial pulses. It was fascinating... way more complete in the way to diagnosis a person than Western Medicine perspectives (which is based on the 'Cartesian' logic of the separation of body/mind/soul).

I have already some experience placing needles in another human being and trying to memorize several hundred other points and methods of treatment... I cannot wait until acupuncture becomes part of how I treat patients, and I also cannot wait until I can incorporate OMT (osteopathic manipulative therapy, which I love) with acupuncture. I would love to offer solutions for ailments of which where Western Medicine tend to sweep under the rug.

I can't wait...

Oh... pictures of the Tempe Street Fair (right next to the hotel):