© 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors D O I: Commentary

All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association. Acupuncture is entering the legislative mainstream ofCanadian health care. The province of Ontario isabout to legislate acupuncture as a therapeutic act un-der the jurisdiction of the Colleges responsible for the practi-tioner administering treatment (e.g., the College of Physi-cians and Surgeons of Ontario for physicians and the College of Nurses of Ontario for nurses). University courses in acupuncture are offered at both the University of Calgary and McMaster University. Colleges of traditional Chinese medi-cine exist in both British Columbia and Alberta. Traditional Chinese medicine is particularly noted for its focus on the maintenance of health, well-being and disease prevention. Acupuncture is extensively used in the treatment of chronic pain and in rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries. The moments when Western and traditional Chinese medicine in-tersect can be very interesting. The perioperative period ma