History of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has a well-documented history in China spanning over 2,000 years,
but some studies believe it originated almost 4,000 years ago. In fact, examples
of the earliest acupuncture needles made of stone (bian) and ceramic predate the
development of iron. Hieroglyphics of both acupuncture and moxibustion date from
the Shang Dynasty, three thousand years ago.
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Both Taoism and Confucianism have had a great influence over the development
of medicine in China. One of the main tenets of Confucianism stresses that the
body is holy, and must remain intact through life and into death. The Taoists,
on the other hand, believe that the key to health is the maintenance of balance
between opposing forces in nature, symbolized most powerfully by yin and yang.
The philosophy of Chinese medicine can be said to exist between these two
philosophies: disharmony brings 'dis-ease', and a doctor can cure the patient
through detailed and accurate observations of the external and emotional life of
the patient. Acupuncture and moxibustion have both been successful in curing
internal disease through external means.
Acupuncture is based on ancient theories of the flow of life force energy, qi
(pronounced "chee"), along pathways or meridians, similar in concept to the
nervous and circulatory system. According to acupuncture theory, disease or pain
is caused by a blockage of qi at one or more organs or acupoints along the
meridians. Needles are used to stimulate these points and facilitate the free
flow of blocked energy. Moxibustion, frequently used in conjunction with
acupuncture, places burning herbs near the skin or directly on the acupuncture
needles, using heat to stimulate the same meridian points. There are over 300
points and fourteen channels on the human body which are used today in
acupuncture.
This method of healing dates back to the Sui dynasty (AD 561-618.)
Acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine formed the basis of the curriculum
of the first medical college in China, which was founded at this time.
Through the centuries, techniques continued to grow and develop. Contact with
Europeans in the 16th century opened the West to this ancient medicine. The
Jesuits, in particular, collected and disseminated a great deal of traditional
Eastern medical information to Europe, while also bringing Western concepts to
China. Missionaries established Western medical colleges at the end of the 19th
century in China, and acupuncture was briefly outlawed in 1929. However, under
Communist rule, there was a return to traditional Chinese medicine, especially
in the countryside, where the remedies were cheap, accepted by the people, and
used skills.
Throughout the 1950's, many new clinics were opened in China to provide,
teach, and investigate traditional methods of Chinese medicine. The resurgence
in interest along with access to Western techniques, led to the development of
many new methods of acupuncture, including ear, scalp and electro-acupuncture,
which uses small electrical currents to stimulate the needles.
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