Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine History and Mission

The Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine history and its mission are fascinating. The program came into being thanks to the groundbreaking work of the late Edith R. Davis, the earliest leader of acupuncture in Minnesota and one of its first teachers. In the late 1970’s, Ms. Davis’ Tai Ji instructor demonstrated how acupuncture behind her knee could instantly relieve her low back pain. Davis immediately realized the significance of a simple, natural technique with demonstrable effects.

She spent the next decade learning and mastering acupuncture, then in 1990 created Minnesota’s first acupuncture school. It was the first not-for-profit program of its kind in the Midwest – the Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies.

• The Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine was created in 1999 when the University merged with the Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies
• The college was later re-branded as the College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University
• In 2015, the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program was re-organized under the newly created College of Health and Wellness
• In early 2018, the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program was renamed the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine program