Ed Hughes: One million Americans visit  acupuncturists every year and  those numbers are growing.     

The ancient Chinese art of  healing is quickly catching on in the U.S. NewsChannel Three's Healthwatch reporter Cynthia Brooks visits a Virginia Beach acupuncturist. 

Cynthia Brooks: Jim Kurz is hoping acupuncture will relieve his chronic pain from arthritis. 

Jim Kurz: There's only so many pain pills you can keep taking, so I gave it a try.

Cynthia Brooks: Kurz started about three weeks ago.

Jim Kurz: Overall, the pain in my  joints has reduced dramatically.

Cynthia Brooks:  Xiao Hong Li is an acupuncturist trained in China now practicing in Virginia Beach.

Xiao Hong Li: I have treated cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, all kinds of pain. 

Cynthia Brooks: Even pain from wounds..like this horrific spider bite.  Majorie Harrison went to three doctors before trying acupuncture with Li. 

Majorie Harrison: She said, I don't know  whether I can help you or not.  And I think she might have  been praying, she turned her  back to us. Then she turned  around and said, give me two weeks.

Cynthia Brooks:  That was last December. Harrison is so pleased with her progress she's still getting treatment.  Most of the patients here combine acupuncture with Western medicine, saying both  compliment each other to make them feel better. The needles are supposed to help the body release brain chemicals that alter the pain  sensation.

Xiao Hong Li: When you have treatment, when I put the  needle in, you feel the flower blooming, it feels so good. 

Cynthia Brooks:   I decided to try it to see if  it would relieve the arthritis pain in my lower back. After cleaning the pressure points, she inserts the needles. I  feel only a slight sting. She  says relax for thirty minutes.  I can't say my pain completely disappeared, but it did  decrease. For Healthwatch, I'm  Cynthia Brooks.

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