The Ontario province in Canada is now regulating traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture practioners:

"Ontario will become the second province in Canada to regulate traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture, herbs and tai chi as medical therapy.

"We owe it to the people of Ontario to ensure they are protected," Health Minister George Smitherman said Friday in making the announcement.

"But at the same time, we have to realize traditional forms of medicine have helped a great number of people for a very long time."

A new report will give the province guidelines on what forms of treatment will be regulated and what type of rules are necessary, said Smitherman.

Tony Wong, a Liberal member of provincial parliament who helped write the report, said traditional Chinese medicine has five branches: herbs, acupuncture, tai chi, tuina, and qigong. Tuina is a pressure point massage and qigong is a series of breathing exercises meant to help focus the energy in the body.

Tai chi is a form of gentle meditative exercise also used to focus energy in the body. Wong said its use would only be regulated for medical treatment, not as a form of exercise.

Wong said there is a very strong need for regulation in the province."