Iron Man 3

Acupuncture gets revived from the cutting room floor in the film Iron Man 3. The Chinese release of the film Iron Man 3features an extended three minute segment wherein the protagonist Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., undergoes acupuncture assisted surgery. Currently, there are plans to revive this segment in a short film entitled The Prologue. Speculation on distribution of The Prologue cites possible inclusion in the DVD or television release.

This is not the first time Robert Downey Jr. makes the acupuncture news cycle. Less than a year ago, he was presented with the Robert Graham Visionary Award by Yo San University founders Dr. Daoshing Ni and Dr. Mao Shing Ni. Yo San University is a nonprofit organization that promotes education in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist healing arts including masters and doctoral degree programs towards acupuncturist licensure. Notably, Robert Downey Jr. uses Traditional Chinese Medicine including acupuncture and herbal medicine. He also practices Qi Gong and Kung Fu. It looks like the real Tony Stark has a few well known secrets to health and fitness of his own.

The Robert Graham Visionary Award is a lifetime outstanding achievement award named after the famed sculptor who served as a trustee of Yo San University (Los Angeles, California) during his lifetime. Fund raising conducted by Yo San University towards humanitarian outreach projects features admission to this year’s Robert Graham Visionary award celebration. The endowment sponsors a program at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles that provides children suffering from severe pain with acupuncture treatments. The endowment also assists the Venice Family Clinic in its effort to provide health services to the economically disadvantaged and to those without adequate healthcare insurance. Other services supported by the endowment include financial support ofPrimere Oncology in an effort to provide pain relief for cancer patients and for services to HIV patients through the Being Alive program.