Guide to Acupuncture, pt.1
History of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has a long, diverse history that continues to change and evolve. Acupuncture as most people think that it developed in China. What is often overlooked is that traditions of acupuncture have been preserved in many cultures. Japan, Korea, and China have the strongest traditions with traces of the theory popping up in many cultures from India to Native American.
One very compelling development was the mid nineties discovery of the Ice man or Otzi, between the Austrian and Italian Alps. The man was dated as being around 5200 years old and was found to have over 15 tattoos on his body corresponding to acupuncture points. The marking were made by incisions in the skin, which were then rubbed with burnt herbs to prolong the healing process. An autopsy was performed which confirmed that the man suffered from both parasites and rheumatism which the tattooed points would have treated. Whether this man was treated in Europe or Asia is unclear. The evidence shows, however, that a form of acupuncture similar to what is practiced today was used to treat conditions many years earlier than previously thought. In addition, this is the only known case of acupuncture being used in Europe in this time period.
The first written record of Acupuncture is found in the 4,700 year old Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine). This is said to be the oldest medical textbook in the world. It is thought to have been written down from even earlier theories by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine. Shen Nung documented theories about circulation, pulse, and the heart over 4,000 years before European medicine had any record of them. Traditionally, techniques were passed down from master to apprentice and down through families. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao tried to standardize acupuncture. This was done in order to speed up the training process and allow more people outlying areas, access to medical care. These medics were called barefoot doctors. We can thank Mao for many of the standardized techniques that are taught today in the States.
Find out more about acupuncture and oriental medicine in our
Guide to Acupuncture:
- History of Acupuncture
- Qi: An Introduction
- Oriental Medicine: An Answer to Imbalances
- Chinese and Western Medicine: a Discussion of Yin and Yang
- U.S. National Institute of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture
- Statement from the World Health Organization
We also have an overview of our acupuncture services, and more about our individual practitioners: Derek Kirkham, Lindsey Lawson, and Karen Hayes.
