I just read an article on acupuncture from the Northern Territory news website, which comes out of Australia.  The author quotes Dr. Robyn Parker, who uses acupuncture to treat patient's at North Melbourne Hospital.  Dr. Parker has proposed that acupuncture be offered at area emergency rooms, which is a notion that's catching on slowly but surely as integrated medicine becomes more popular.  However, what's newsworthy here in my opinion is that she also proposes that people be trained to give themselves acupuncture.  I love this idea!  And I haven't heard it before from any source, let alone a medical doctor.  Self-treatment could be really beneficial especially in acute pain.  I think we're a long way from this in the U.S., but tiny seeds eventually become flowers and I think it would be cool if I were around to see this idea blossom.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/06/29/62271_ntnews.html

I just came across an unusual blog, written by Amitabh Mitra, a physician poet who lives and works in South Africa but hails from central India.  In his recent entry "Ramblings of a Bone Setter," he talks about the history of bone setting and the different traditions which seem to come from all corners of the globe.  Among his varied travels, he studied acupuncture in Sri Lanka.  But what really interests me is his comment about traditional South African healers, the Sangomas, who treat "low back pain with blade pricks."  Wikipedia says, "Sangomas far outnumber western-style doctors in Southern Africa, and are consulted first (or exclusively) by approximately 80% of the indigenous population."  I'm curious about these Sangomas and their blade pricks and how they might correspond to acupuncture points! 

http://poetsprintery.book.co.za/blog/

http://www.amitabhmitra.com/