That was when New York Times reporter James Reston visited China and wrote about a healing art that helped alleviate his pain after surgery. The treatment, called acupuncture, entailed inserting needles into specific points in his body.

Chinese medicine is becoming somewhat institutionalized in the United States today, as more Asians immigrate here and Americans explore Eastern practices.

Thirty-plus years after Reston's article, the University of East-West Medicine in Sunnyvale received accreditation in June for its master of science program in traditional Chinese medicine from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The national agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit professional programs in the acupuncture and Oriental medicine profession.

The American Medical Association classifies acupuncture as an alternative medicine, according to a spokeswoman, and takes the position that further investigation into the practice should be conducted.

While a growing number of Americans turn to Chinese medicine to relieve pain and other ailments, others are capitalizing on the growing market by pursuing careers in the field.

The Sunnyvale university--Silicon Valley's first school to offer a master's program in Chinese medicine--also has clinics for treating patients.

With the accreditation, students at the university can now receive financial assistance and transfer college credits to other accredited universities.

The master's program is a three-year course designed to give students a background in Chinese arts such as acupuncture, tai chi, qigong and herbology, as well as Western medical theory. Classes are offered in Mandarin and English. The program incorporates in-class instruction with hands-on training in the university's student clinic. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the California Acupuncture Licensing Examination.

The university's president, Ying Qiu Wang, founded the school in 1997. Wang finished his degree in Western medicine at the University of Medicine in Sichuan in 1976. He spent the next 10 years practicing medicine at the Beijing Aviation General Hospital in China.

Then, in 1988, Wang immigrated to the United States, where--ironically--he developed an interest in Chinese medicine. He says Chinese philosophies resolved some ambiguities he found within Western theories.

"I found many diseases difficult to diagnose with Western medicine," Wang says. "Other times, the [Western] diagnosis is clear but the treatment is usually operations or drugs. Some patients don't want this. I wanted to find a new way."

Wang established the World Center for Health in Oakland in 1990 with a mission to promote Eastern medical philosophies. This institute laid the groundwork for the University of East-West Medicine, which he opened about seven years later.

Wang earned a Ph.D. in Oriental medicine from Global University in 2000.

Although Wang favors Chinese medicine's holistic and preventive approach to fighting disease, he has not eschewed Western medicine altogether. He says the West's medical theories and diagnostic tools can be valuable, especially if used alongside holistic and natural Chinese practices, which include herbs, qigong and acupuncture. Wang says that in China, doctors incorporate Western and Eastern theories into their practice.

Acupuncture and other Chinese medicinal practices are predicated on the idea that all human beings have chi--vital energy that distinguishes the living from the dead. According to this form of medicine, chi courses through the body along 12 basic meridians. In acupuncture, practitioners have about 365 main entry points to the meridians. The needles release blocked energy and stimulate circulation.

According to Chinese medicine, the body works as a holistic organ rather than separate body parts. To demonstrate this, Wang points to a point on the leg below the knee that he says eases stomach problems.

Although the needle-phobic person may be deterred from acupuncture, Dawn Shepard, a student in the master's program, says they needn't be frightened.

"When people think of acupuncture, a lot of times they think of hypodermic needles," Shepard says. "But [acupuncture needles] are as fine as a hair. Most of the time you don't feel them, and if you do, it's only a small prick. When they take the needles out, you feel like you've woken up from a deep meditation."

Shepard has been in the master's program for three years as a part-time student. She had always been interested in medicine and healing, but was deterred by Western medicine's reliance on surgery and prescription drugs.

"Traditional Chinese medicine is more preventative," Shepard says. "It helps keep the body in balance."

Another treatment method the university teaches is cupping, which is one of the oldest methods of Chinese medicine. Acupuncturists warm glass or plastic cups by burning a cotton ball or other flammable substance soaked in alcohol inside the cup. The flame removes oxygen and creates a vacuum.

Practitioners then place the cup over a specific area of a patient's body. The cup adheres to the skin and sucks it inside the cup. This is believed to open the skin's pores, stimulate bloodflow, eliminate toxins and balance the flow of energy.

Instead of doling out prescription drugs, students learn how to prescribe herbs to relieve patients' symptoms and promote health. Herbal healing is not only used in Chinese medicine--Western mainstays such as aspirin and quinine come from natural substances.

Wang has spent the last 30 years researching herbology, and the university's clinic offers about 300 herbs, which can be brewed into tea. Wang also sells his own herbal combinations in oral supplements and packets at the clinics.

"Herbs are not as harsh on the body as prescription drugs, and they are a lot more affordable," says Jaime Chaves, an instructor in the master's program.

Chaves, who was born and raised in Santa Cruz, grew up in a household where alternative health practices were a part of life. When he was seven, his mother introduced him to acupuncture to relieve allergies and treat sports injuries.

"I got amazing results," Chaves says.

When the time came for Chaves to choose a profession, he decided to attend The Five Branches Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Cruz. He graduated in 2002, and became a licensed acupuncturist.

"I wanted to get involved in the medical field, and I got good results [with Chinese medicine]," Chaves says.

He acknowledges that some people remain skeptical about Chinese medicine's scientific validity, considering it "voodoo medicine." However, Chaves believes it is gaining acceptance among Westerners.

"In the last 20 years, the perception of Chinese medicine has changed," he says. "But traditional Chinese medicine has been around for so long. It's considered an alternative medicine, but was the main form of medicine in China for thousands of years, and still is in a lot of places."

Students at the University of East-West Medicine also learn preventive ways to keep chi in balance, including tai chi and qigong--self-healing arts that combine meditation and movement as well as nutrition. Instructors also teach Western theories of diagnosis, examination and internal medicine.

"The whole idea behind [what we teach] is to find a balance, whether the patient is ill or healthy," Chaves says. "A huge part of it is prevention, and trying to get at what's causing the symptoms."

"Chinese medicine treats the symptoms, not the name of the disease," says Cupertino resident Kevin Song.

Song entered University of East-West medicine three years ago, shortly after he was laid off from his high-tech job. "I thought I needed a change," he says.

For some Asian immigrants, traditional Chinese medicine isn't an alternative healing method--it's standard practice. Song, for instance, was influenced by his father-in-law, who is an acupuncturist. In addition to his desire to pursue a medical career, Song thought a career in Chinese medicine might be a sound, and lucrative, choice.

"You are your own boss and no one lays you off," Song says.

In addition to high-tech refugees, Wang says several students are seasoned medical practitioners who want to augment their knowledge.

Cupertino resident Eva Mei, a licensed aesthetician, became interested in Chinese medicine after realizing several skin conditions stemmed from internal problems.

"I realized my clients had inner problems that I couldn't heal," Mei says. With her interest piqued, Mei decided to pursue a master's in traditional Chinese medicine at the East-West university.

"I think there is a trend toward Chinese medicine, especially for pain and other problems." Song says. "Sometimes, everything will check out OK with a Western doctor, but the pain or discomfort is real. Chinese medicine can treat that."

"I think Americans are more open to alternatives than before, especially in the Bay Area where there is such a concentration of diversity," Mei says. Wang says he would like to start a Ph.D. program in Chinese medicine and further his research into the ancient discipline.

"My background is as a Western doctor, and I like research a lot," he says. "I want to do new things for my patients and students, not just follow what others are doing."

The University of East-West Medicine is located at 970 W. El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. For more information, visit www.uewm.edu or call 408.773.1878.