Acupuncture: Difference between revisions

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The Chinese were the true pioneers of acupuncture. Although other civilizations had similar healing techniques, the Chinese developed the technique and formed the basis of modern acupuncture. It finds its origins in the Taoist philosophy created over 8,000 years ago. The philosophy, which focuses on the flow of energy within and without and the relationship between man and the universe. Inspired by the Taoist mindset, Fu Hsi, a legendary Chinese man from the Yellow River area of China created "I-Ching" or "Book of Change." The book dramatically influenced both the philosophy of the people and the foundations of Chinese medicine and subsequently acupuncture.
The Chinese were the true pioneers of acupuncture. Although other civilizations had similar healing techniques, the Chinese developed the technique and formed the basis of modern acupuncture. It finds its origins in the Taoist philosophy created over 8,000 years ago. The philosophy, which focuses on the flow of energy within and without and the relationship between man and the universe. Inspired by the Taoist mindset, Fu Hsi, a legendary Chinese man from the Yellow River area of China created "I-Ching" or "Book of Change." The book dramatically influenced both the philosophy of the people and the foundations of Chinese medicine and subsequently acupuncture.


Evidence of the Chinese use of acupuncture traces its origins to eras beyond historical documentation. China's primitive history can be divided into two time periods, the Old Stone Age (10,000+ years ago) and the New Stone Age (4,000-10,000 years ago). In the Old Stone Age, knives made of stone were used for medical procedures. During the New Stone Age, stones were also made into fine needles that served to treat disease. These needles, called bian stone needles, have been discovered in Chinese ruins from the New Stone Age.[http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm] Further evidence dates back to 1000 BC, during the Shang Dynasty. Excavations of ruins from this time revealed bronze needles, bian stone needles, and hieroglyphs displaying evidence of acupuncture and moxibustion, the burning of substances on the skin to treat diseases; moxibustion generally employs the same points used in acupuncture.[http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm][http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moxibustion] Metal needles replaced bian stone needles during the Warren States Era (421-221 BC) and gold and silver needles were discovered in an ancient tomb dating back to 113 BC.
Evidence of the Chinese use of acupuncture traces its origins to eras beyond historical documentation. Some believe that the concept originated from the story of how some soldiers had been shot by arrows in battle and were miraculously cured of chronic afflictions. However, the more commonly accepted explanation traces the roots acupuncture back to China's Stone Age. China's primitive history can be divided into two time periods, the Old Stone Age (10,000+ years ago) and the New Stone Age (4,000-10,000 years ago). In the Old Stone Age, knives made of stone were used for medical procedures. During the New Stone Age, stones were also made into fine needles that served to treat disease. These needles, called bian stone needles, have been discovered in Chinese ruins from the New Stone Age.[http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm] Further evidence dates back to 1000 BC, during the Shang Dynasty. Excavations of ruins from this time revealed bronze needles, bian stone needles, and hieroglyphs displaying evidence of acupuncture and moxibustion, the burning of substances on the skin to treat diseases; moxibustion generally employs the same points used in acupuncture.[http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm][http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moxibustion] Metal needles replaced bian stone needles during the Warren States Era (421-221 BC) and gold and silver needles were discovered in an ancient tomb dating back to 113 BC.


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*Under the rule of the '''Song Dynasty''' (960-1279), physician Wang Weiyi wrote "The Illustrated Manual on Points for Acupuncture and Moxibustion", which included the description of 657 acupuncture points. As a visual aid for teaching purposes, Weiyi also casted two bronze statues on which he engraved the meridians and points of the body.
*Under the rule of the '''Song Dynasty''' (960-1279), physician Wang Weiyi wrote "The Illustrated Manual on Points for Acupuncture and Moxibustion", which included the description of 657 acupuncture points. As a visual aid for teaching purposes, Weiyi also casted two bronze statues on which he engraved the meridians and points of the body.
* The '''Ming Dynasty''' (1568-1644) saw the greatest advancement of the art. Some accomplishments of the time include revision of the texts, refinement of the techniques, the discovery of extra points outside the main meridians,  a medical encyclopedia called "Principle and Practice of Medicine", and the text "Principles of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" which inspired the teachings of G. Soulie de Morant, the man who introduced acupuncture in Europe.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm][http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm]
* The '''Ming Dynasty''' (1568-1644) saw the greatest advancement of the art. Some accomplishments of the time include revision of the texts, refinement of the techniques, the discovery of extra points outside the main meridians,  a medical encyclopedia called "Principle and Practice of Medicine", and the text "Principles of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" which inspired the teachings of G. Soulie de Morant, the man who introduced acupuncture in Europe.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm][http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm]
*Following the Revolution of 1911,  
*Following the Revolution of 1911, '''Chang Khi Check''' took control of China and ushered in an era of Western medicine to China. Acupuncture and Chinese herbology were banned in the cities, but the practices remained popular among the poorer, folk people.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm][http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm]
*In 1945, '''Mao Tse Tung''' gained control of China and restored acupuncture as the method of healing while banning the practice of Western medicine. He eventually united Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Medicine in 1950, bringing acupuncture to the Chinese hospitals.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm][http://www.acupuncturecare.com/acupunct.htm]


Western Medicine was introduced 
and Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology were suppressed. Due to
the large population and need for medical care, Acupuncture and herbs
remained popular among the folk people, and the "barefoot doctor" emerged.


=== Recognition by Western Medicine ===
=== Recognition by Western Medicine ===
In 1932, Chang Khi Check took control of China and ushered in an era of Western medicine to China. The development of acupuncture stopped during this time as Chang Khi Check banned the practice in the cities In 1945, Mao Tse Tung took power of China and restored acupuncture as the method of healing while banning the practice of western medicine. When President Nixon opened the doors in to China in 1972, acupuncture gained world wide recognition as a form of medical treatment. More attention was called to acupuncture when American journalist James Reston had an emergency appendectomy in China with acupuncture used as the anesthetic. [http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm]
Since the incorporation of Traditional Chinese Medicine into the Western-style hospitals in China, China has pioneered research into acupuncture's application and clinical effects. The Western World, particularly Europe, discovered acupuncture through France's acquisition of Vietnam, which they called the French Indochina. Dr. Nogier was a notable French doctor whose research on ear acupuncture between 1951 and 1996 built the bridge between oriental acupuncture and Western medicine.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm] When President Nixon opened the doors in to China in 1972, acupuncture gained world wide recognition as a form of medical treatment. More attention was called to acupuncture when American journalist James Reston had an emergency appendectomy in China with acupuncture used as the anesthetic. [http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm]


Europe learned about acupuncture through the French Indochina (now Vietnam). Dr. Nogier was a French doctor whose research on ear acupuncture between 1951 and 1996 built the bridge between oriental acupuncture and Western medicine.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm]


Streamlined versions of the metal needles used by these peoples have since become the main tool in modern acupuncture. The needles are extremely fine and are often as thin as hair. They are placed at specific points of the body to relieve pain with very little discomfort.[http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm]




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Acupuncture and moxabustion have been used in the Far East to restore, promote, and maintain good health for over 5000 years. The first acupuncture needles were made from stone, and then later from bronze, gold and silver. The first known medical account of acupuncture was The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen), which dates from around 300 BC.


Acupuncture is rooted in the Daoist philosophy of change, growth, balance, and harmony. The Yellow Emperor's Classic outlines the principles of natural law and the phases of life - yin and yang, the five elements, the organ system and the meridian network along which the vital acupuncture points are located. These records also contain details of pathology and physiology, which some 2,000 years later provide the theoretical foundation for acupuncture today.


Although acupuncture is used far more extensively in China than in the West, the last few decades have seen huge growth in people seeking the benefits of this safe and highly effective treatment.[http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_oct09/acupuncture%20fertility.htm]


The earliest written record of acupuncture is the Chinese text Shiji (史記, English: Records of the Grand Historian) with elaboration of its history in the second century BCE medical text Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經, English: Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon).[8] Different types of acupuncture (Classical Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world. Acupuncture has been the subject of active scientific research since the late 20th century[9] but it remains controversial among conventional medical researchers and clinicians.[9] Due to the invasive nature of acupuncture treatments, it is difficult to create studies that use proper scientific controls.[10][9][11][12][13]:126 Some scholarly reviews have concluded that the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment can be explained largely through the placebo effect,[14][15] while other studies have suggested some efficacy in the treatment of specific conditions.[9][16][17] The World Health Organization published a review of controlled trials using acupuncture and concluded it was effective for the treatment of 28 conditions and there was evidence to suggest it may be effective for several dozen more,[18] though this review has been criticized by several scientists for bias and a focus on studies with a poor methodology.[19][20] Reports from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have studied and commented on the efficacy (or lack thereof) of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles, and that further research is appropriate.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture]
Antiquity


Acupuncture's origins in China are uncertain. One explanation is that some soldiers wounded in battle by arrows were cured of chronic afflictions that were otherwise untreated,[24] and there are variations on this idea.[25] In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the Stone Age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones.[26] In 1963 a bian stone was found in Duolon County, Mongolia, pushing the origins of acupuncture into the Neolithic age.[27] Heiroglyphs and pictographs have been found dating from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BCE) which suggest that acupuncture was practiced along with moxibustion.[28] Despite improvements in metallurgy over centuries, it was not until the 2nd century BCE during the Han Dynasty that stone and bone needles were replaced with metal.[27] The earliest records of acupuncture is in the Shiji (史記, in English, Records of the Grand Historian) with references in later medical texts that are equivocal, but could be interpreted as discussing acupuncture. The earliest Chinese medical text to describe acupuncture is the Huangdi Neijing, the legendary Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (History of Acupuncture) which was compiled around 305–204 B.C. The Huangdi Neijing does not distinguish between acupuncture and moxibustion and gives the same indication for both treatments. The Mawangdui texts, which also date from the second century BC though antedating both the Shiji and Huangdi Neijing, mentions the use of pointed stones to open abscesses and moxibustion but not acupuncture, but by the second century BCE, acupuncture replaced moxibustion as the primary treatment of systemic conditions.[8]
Acupuncture's origins in China are uncertain. One explanation is that some soldiers wounded in battle by arrows were cured of chronic afflictions that were otherwise untreated,[24] and there are variations on this idea.[25] In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the Stone Age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones.[26] In 1963 a bian stone was found in Duolon County, Mongolia, pushing the origins of acupuncture into the Neolithic age.[27] Heiroglyphs and pictographs have been found dating from the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BCE) which suggest that acupuncture was practiced along with moxibustion.[28] Despite improvements in metallurgy over centuries, it was not until the 2nd century BCE during the Han Dynasty that stone and bone needles were replaced with metal.[27] The earliest records of acupuncture is in the Shiji (史記, in English, Records of the Grand Historian) with references in later medical texts that are equivocal, but could be interpreted as discussing acupuncture. The earliest Chinese medical text to describe acupuncture is the Huangdi Neijing, the legendary Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (History of Acupuncture) which was compiled around 305–204 B.C. The Huangdi Neijing does not distinguish between acupuncture and moxibustion and gives the same indication for both treatments. The Mawangdui texts, which also date from the second century BC though antedating both the Shiji and Huangdi Neijing, mentions the use of pointed stones to open abscesses and moxibustion but not acupuncture, but by the second century BCE, acupuncture replaced moxibustion as the primary treatment of systemic conditions.[8]
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In 2006, a BBC documentary Alternative Medicine filmed a patient undergoing open heart surgery allegedly under acupuncture-induced anaesthesia. It was later revealed that the patient had been given a cocktail of weak anaesthetics that in combination could have a much more powerful effect. The program was also criticised for its fanciful interpretation of the results of a brain scanning experiment.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture]
In 2006, a BBC documentary Alternative Medicine filmed a patient undergoing open heart surgery allegedly under acupuncture-induced anaesthesia. It was later revealed that the patient had been given a cocktail of weak anaesthetics that in combination could have a much more powerful effect. The program was also criticised for its fanciful interpretation of the results of a brain scanning experiment.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture]
ACUPUNCTURE TODAY
China and Taiwan today play a leading role in developing traditional Chinese medicine. In these countries there are some 232,000 traditional Chinese medical doctors and 50 institutes producing 30,000 traditional Chinese medical doctors annually. Korea has developed very effective hand acupuncture which compliments other acupuncture modalities.Russia since the end of the cold war has revealed research done behind the iron curtain that has contributed to sonic and reflexolgy treatments today.
Japan has junior colleges of acupuncture. There are 8500 Japanese doctors in the Oriental Medical Association developing methodology in acupuncture to compliment western medicine.
In America there are about 8000 acupuncturists. 16 acupuncture schools, and 2 medical schools teaching acupuncture. UCLA medical school has been teaching acupuncture to physicians under the leadership of Dr.Joseph Helms. In 18 states, only doctors can perform acupuncture. Border states like Florida, California, and New York allow non physicians to perform acupuncture.All require licensing.
An organization the American Academy Of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) based in California, has a membership of nearly 1000 physician members from the entire country. All physicians who are members must have been previously accredited by formal training and certification. About 25% of these physicians work in pain centers around America.
In Europe oriental medical research is very active and quite advanced. Spain has an acupuncture school called Golden Clover. Germany, Austria and Italy all have very strong and active acupuncture centers. England has no organized acupuncture medical activity but there is a British Medical Acupuncture society which is quite active. France has pioneered ear acupuncture through its famous center in Lyons under the leadership of Dr. Nogier (he recently died)
As you see, acupuncture is practiced worldwide. In the United States more and more practitioners are now developing knowledge and new skills in acupuncture. Many are incorporating all the modalities from the various countries, using hand, ear, Chinese, Japanese and scalp acupuncture along with Russian reflexology and adapting these techniques to the modern times with use of modern technology to produce what is now called American Acupuncture.
In 1996 in America, needles were removed from the "investigative" category to "accepted medical instruments". Being investigative, allowed insurance companies to deny payment for medical acupuncture treatment. There is a bill before congress with 12 sponsors to allow Medicare to pay for acupuncture treatments. The National Institute of Health for the first time has formed a department of Alternative Health care to provide needed research funding in alternative avenues of medical care. [http://www.americanacupuncture.com/history.htm]


== Traditional Method ==
== Traditional Method ==
Aton
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