This is to share a remarkable event on a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas on June of 2022. Las Vegas is not my favorite place to visit but it was just the first stop of a long bus tour I was scheduled to take to visit a series of national parks including Yellowstone.
Whilst on the flight, I heard the intercom calling for assistance from any medical professionals among the passengers. I also noticed an airline stewardess fetching a first aid box nearby. Upon inquiry, I was informed that a male, adult passenger had fallen ill and was lying on the floor, with difficulty breathing.
I quickly grabbed my acupuncture kit and joined the rescue. An experienced physician was already at the patient’s side. She gave me a quick summary of her examination: elevated blood pressure, dizziness, nausea coupled with cold perspiration. All the symptoms pointed to a possible heart attack.
With the prognosis of a possible heart attack, the physician advised the captain that they would need to get to the nearest airport so the patient could be admitted to emergency care. The hospital in Denver was notified of the situation and the captain announced that they would re-route the plane to Denver as it may be a life-threatening situation.
I told the physician that I may be able to improve the man’s condition. I asked the patient if it would be all right if he would let me do acupuncture on him. He agreed.
Jumping into action, I put a few needles in his wrists and a few in his legs, a total of eight needles were applied. After about 30 minutes the patient’s condition started to improve. His high blood pressure was reduced, the nausea was gone, and he stopped sweating. He slowly sat up with the assistance of myself and another passenger and had a drink of water. About 45 minutes later, I removed the needles and the patient got up and sat back on his seat.
With the knowledge of significant improvement of the patient’s condition, the captain resumed the original route to Las Vegas. That announcement received applause from all on board. Some nearby passengers reached out to shake my hand.
A mother and three young children sitting near where the patient was lying, had followed the full event with great interest. She asked her children if they would like to be a doctor when they grow up. They all nodded with enthusiasm. I didn’t get a chance to tell them that acupuncture is part of Chinese medicine which has certain advantages in these circumstances vs. standard first aid.
This demonstrates that acupuncture can definitely be applied in some emergency circumstances. Granted standard medicine is great at ER and trauma-based conditions. But I am always pleased to utilize my skills in times of need. It is also wise to use diagnostic instruments like a blood pressure monitor and oxygen monitor. Acupuncture should be promoted in emergency medicine situations for better patient outcomes. It could even be used successfully in assisted living environments.
But why wait until you reach the emergency stage? Prevention is the best way to avoid disaster. If you would like to prevent any cardiovascular problems or if you already suffer from some do give us a call at 952-831-8080 or fill out our contact form. Stay healthy!
