a graphic of a rocket launch, acupuncture needles and an image of Mars

Acupuncture is on a Mission to Mars

Who knew that NASA was looking for an acupuncturist to join their mission to the Red Planet? Bill Redy, LAc certainly did! According to his latest article in Acupuncture Today, government agencies have been researching acupuncture as a replacement for heavy doses of medication during space travel. It’s time to boldly go where no acupuncturist has gone before.

Today, acupuncture is one of the most accepted complementary and alternative medicines, but we still must prove ourselves to the western mind. However, the gap is closing more and more, and it is research like this that helps our medicine tremendously. So why is acupuncture being researched for a mission to mars? Keep reading.

It’s no secret humans have always been driven to explore the unknown, from our ancient ancestors traversing the unknown seas in search of new lands to modern-day astronauts who journey into uncharted space.

Can you imagine the amount of preparation it takes for a space voyage? A mission with a crew of three to six can take six months to a year to complete the mission. Not only does there have to be enough food but enough medical supplies to keep the astronauts healthy on a long-distance space voyage.

According to Bill Redy, It costs $10,000 to put one pound of cargo and passengers into space. As you can see, storing common medication for six months to a year can be expensive and take up much of the spaceship’s real estate.

What if exploring these distant horizons didn’t require packing heavy physical items like trunks filled with medical supplies? Well, according to scientists at NASA, it may be possible — with something as simple as acupuncture.

That’s right; researchers at the agency are now looking into the possibility of using non-pharmaceutical treatments like acupuncture to replace the current weight load of medications for those adventurous souls who explore far and beyond our world.

Exploring the expanse of space brings many health risks to astronauts. They experience many microgravity-related issues like leukopenia, muscle atrophy, lower immunity, increased inflammation, “space sickness, “ osteopenia, impaired vision, decreased kidney function, radiation exposure, and insomnia.

These cosmic explorers encounter a gauntlet of physical demands when leaving Earth’s atmosphere. Thankfully, acupuncture offers an effective solution for managing many microgravity-related issues with no adverse side effects. The French, Chinese, and Russians have already used acupuncture in space to prevent and treat microgravity-related conditions.

There is also another benefit of using acupuncture. We all know some of the most common medications have side effects. Unfortunately, this could ultimately affect the crew’s performance. Take Benadryl, for example. I will make crew members drowsy and prevent them from working for 60 hours. Time is precious out there in outer space.

Also, water and urine are recycled, leaving trace drugs in the water affecting the rest of the crew members. This secondhand medication could potentially be dangerous to the rest of the crew leading to another reason acupuncturists are being invited on a mission to Mars.

Bill Reddy writes in his article that acupuncture is going on a NASA mission to Mars in the late 1930s. However, they are working out issues like a needle falling out, floating, and short-circuiting critical electronics. Overall, it looks promising.

Humans have pushed limits from the dawn of time, reaching for the stars to explore and discover something new. NASA has reached a new boundary by researching acupuncture to replace medical supply weight for space travel.

This research is symbolic of our progress as a human species — if it’s good enough for earthly astronauts, it may work for you too. Seeking an acupuncturist for treatment could benefit your health journey and help you achieve bigger goals. So let’s take a page from the NASA manual and see what we can do with this ancient Chinese healing practice.

Sure, you won’t be taking off into deep space anytime soon, but you’ll be well on your way to better health outcomes when you summon the action to try acupuncture. Acupuncture is good enough for space travel, so why not try it out — who knows, it could work miracles!

Neil Armstrong would say this is one small step for man, a giant leap for acupuncture.

“The only way to optimal health is to take care of ourselves everyday emotionally, physically and mentally.”

Sheri Davidson, licensed acupuncturist and wellness coach, specializes in preventative medicine. She loves sharing her passion for wellness living and Eastern medicine through her blog, The Wellness Inspired Podcast, and practice, Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness in Rice Village District of Houston, TX.

To find out more about wellness living and natural healing, follow Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness on Instagram, Facebook, Google, and Linkedin. If you know of anyone who would benefit from our content, please share.

Let’s stay healthy together!

Blog: Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness

Sheri Davidson, L.Ac + Wellness Coach

“The only way to optimal health is to take care of ourselves everyday emotionally, physically and mentally.”

Sheri Davidson, licensed acupuncturist and wellness coach, specializes in preventative medicine. She loves sharing her passion for wellness living and Eastern medicine through her blog, The Wellness Inspired Podcast, and practice, Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness in Rice Village District of Houston, TX.

To find out more about wellness living and natural healing, follow Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness on Instagram, Facebook, Google, and Linkedin. If you know of anyone who would benefit from our content, please share.

Let’s stay healthy together!

Blog: Element 5, Acupuncture + Wellness

Sheri Davidson, L.Ac + Wellness Coach