History of Acupuncture

The following is a brief overview and is not meant to be exhaustive.

Bian shi (sharpened stones) were used for acupuncture.
- These bian shi date back to 3000 BCE.
- Bloodletting may have been a precursor to acupuncture.
Evidence shows the use of bone fragments, fish bones, and bamboo for needles as well.
With the Bronze Age came bronze needles, but the stone needles were still the most widely used.

: Gold acupuncture needles from Liu Sheng’s tomb; Wenhuadageming Qijian Chutu Wenwu p. 16

The writing for “acupuncture” was found on bone and tortoise shell inscriptions from 1800 BCE.
Several historical texts from the 4th and 5th centuries BCE make mention of acupuncture.
The Mawangdui medical manuscripts from the 3rd century BCE detail the acupuncture meridians, but make no mention of actual needling.
Huangdi’s Internal Classic (Huangdi Neijing) – around 250 BCE
- This was the first and most famous text detailing Chinese medical theory.
- Acupuncture points, types of needles, needling techniques, and treatments are all detailed.
Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Huangdi Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing) – 260 CE
- This text is comprised of 12 volumes detailing 349 acupuncture points.
- It is a complete clinical manual / textbook.

Wang Weiyi (987-1067 CE) wrote The Illustrated Manual on Points for Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Tongren Shuxue Zhen Jiu Tujing) which included the descriptions of 657 points.
He also cast two bronze statues on which meridians and points were engraved for teaching purposes.

This time period is considered the climax of Chinese medical theory and acupuncture.
Extensive collections and revisions were made of existing literature.

For various reasons, including politics, herbal medicine was regarded as superior to acupuncture.
In 1822, acupuncture was banned from the Imperial Medical College.

After 1911, traditional medicine in China was discouraged and Western Bio-medicine was introduced.
Acupuncture remained popular among the common folk, and the “barefoot doctors” emerged.

In 1950, Chairman Mao Zedong adopted policies that revitalized acupuncture and traditional medicine in China.
A review of important medical texts was done which led to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
From 1970 to today China has paved the way with extensive scientific research on Acupuncture.

The first European acupuncture publication was published in 1658 in Holland by the Dutch doctor Jakob de Bondt.
European acupuncture then developed independently from that in China.
Electro-acupuncture and auricular-acupuncture were pioneered in Europe and then later adopted in China.

In 1826 in the USA, the first acupuncture publication was by Bache Franklin, MD, great grandson of Benjamin Franklin.
After the 1920’s, acupuncture was very rare outside of Chinatowns.
In 1971, NY Times reporter James Reston had surgery with acupuncture anesthesia and also had post-op pain relief by Acupuncture. This brought much publicity to acupuncture.
The first Chinese Medical Schools appeared in the 1970s, and now there are over 40 such accredited colleges.
In 1996, acupuncture needles were changed from the “investigative” category to accepted medical instruments by the FDA.
In 1997, The National Institutes of Health issued the Consensus Statement that recognized that “Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States” and “may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program.”