Acupuncture in outer space!

Acupuncture Today just recently put out an article by a man named Bill Reddy, an aerospace engineer turned acupuncturist, that was talking about the use of acupuncture in manned (and woman-ed) space missions. I was so excited to read about this 1. because my daughter is really into space right now and I can’t wait to tell her about it 2. Because its awesome 3. because it just makes sense and 4. if is good enough for NASA it should be good enough for everybody (right?!)

Seriously though something that I don’t think a lot of us consider are all the health effects that come with what these astronauts put their bodies through. Living under such extreme conditions their bodies are asked to function and experience some really wild things. Ever thought about how your blood floats in space? Or that they are being exposed to radiation? The question then becomes how will these conditions be addressed in these environments. Then add the cost and limitations that come with space travel. The article states that it cost “$10,000 to send 1 pound of cargo into space.” So needless to say space and cargo choices must be very thoughtful, that extra bottle of ibuprofen is gonna cost ya….literally. This is where acupuncture steps in.

Many of the conditions that astronauts can experience can be treated and supported with acupuncture. The beautiful part is that NASA has recognized this. They continue to research the best practices and safety concerns for acupuncture in space, and as with everything involving such precise needs and safety measures the kinks must be worked out and fine tuned. I think, what they have come to recognize is that they can take an astro-puncturist (my own word) into space and leave the other stuff behind. However, one thing is almost certain, acupuncture will be going to space on the first manned (woman-ed) mission to Mars. And in grand scheme isn’t that far away, the first mission is hoping to be sometime in the late 2030s!

If you want to read the whole article which talks a bit about some of the health conditions that astronauts deal with follow the link and check it out. Acupuncturist Wanted: For Mission To Mars

Have fun!