The History Of Acupuncture

Acupuncture comes from two Latin words namely “acus” which means needle in English and “pungere” which means prick. Its history originated in China more than 2000 years ago and has evolved into various forms.

Some of the techniques of acupuncture do not even use needles anymore. Vibrating objects, ultrasound, and even the fingers of the practitioner have taken some of the work to make the person feel better.

The history of acupuncture is first discussed in an ancient Chinese medical text called the "Huang Di Nei Jing" or The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine.

But there have been a few who are sceptical as archaeologists have found a 5,000-year-old mummy in the Alps with similar acupuncture points in the body. This gives some people the idea that it was used even before the Chinese did but since there is no written text to prove that, no one is certain, and credit to this ancient practice goes back to the Chinese.

In the 6th century, this knowledge moved to Japan. In the 17th century, a man by the name of Waichi Sugiyama wanted to make this procedure painless for the patient so he developed the insertion tube, a small cylindrical tube through which the needle is inserted. Believe it or not, this technique is still being used today.

But acupuncture only reached the US in the early 80’s with the establishment of a regulatory board called the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As a result, various schools have been built and those who want to become licensed acupuncturists are now able to practice their profession.

Despite that, there were a lot of people who were not yet convinced of the positive effects of alternative forms of medication. It was only in 1995 that the US Food and Drug Administration decided to classify the needles used for acupuncture as medical instruments and assured the public that they were both safe and effective.

To further promote acupuncture, the NIH or National Institute of Health in 1997 stated that this technique is very useful in treating various health conditions. These include ear, nose, throat, respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, nervous system, and muscular disorders. In some cases, acupuncture can prevent some of them from happening.

This was further strengthened by the fact that the side effects of acupuncture are much less than those of conventional drugs that are being sold by pharmaceutical companies.

So that people can avail of acupuncture, another recommendation by the NIH is for US companies to provide full coverage for certain conditions. If you do not qualify, perhaps there is partial coverage which you should look up in your policy.

But despite that, more research needs to be done to see its effects on other health-related problems. Some examples of these include addictions, autism, chronic lower back pain, migraines, and osteoarthritis of the knee.

If you look at the history of acupuncture, not much has changed since the needle technique used back then is still being used today. Even if various forms have developed through the years, one thing for sure is that it works.

For you to see how effective it is, you have to see a specialist who is not only qualified to treat your condition but also one is well-trained.

The History of Acupuncture Medicine

Many age-old medicines have been used for thousands of years in the treatment of plenty of problems, many of these physical but there are also emotional problems that can be cured with alternative therapies. One such therapy is called acupuncture and many people believe that this is a fake therapy instituted in the Chinese culture in order to have more influence over Western society. Even though it is true that acupuncture has had a great influence over Western society and America in general, the myth of how it got started is completely false. If you truly do not know how acupuncture got its start then here are a few pieces information that one should know about to believe that acupuncture is a real therapy:

Acupuncture Was Used Thousands of Years Ago

In an attempt to debunk any myths or disbeliefs within the field of acupuncture, this therapy was instituted very many centuries ago in the ancient Chinese civilizations. Many Chinese professors and medical doctors who regularly speak on the issue of acupuncture generally concur that acupuncture was instituted by the Chinese because they had no real forms of medicine. There was no such thing as chloroform in ancient Chinese civilizations and there were also no other real medicine treatments of any kind, except for the ones that they found and kept for themselves.

What Sicknesses Did Acupuncture Originally Cure?

The Chinese used acupuncture therapy to cure everything from the common cold and headaches to mysterious diseases that seemed to take over the body. There is no one long list of sicknesses and illnesses that acupuncture was responsible for curing, but acupuncture therapy was generally called upon and used to treat virtually every type of disease and ailment that came along. Already mentioned was the fact that acupuncture therapy was used to treat the common cold and headaches, but some of the other diseases that could easily have been cured with acupuncture when it first got started include such things as constipation, arthritis, ear aches, toothaches, as well as upset stomachs. All of these things were naturally experienced by the ancient Chinese as well as other humans throughout the world, which leads many people to believe that they were also naturally cured through the use of acupuncture.

How Did Acupuncture Spread

There are many theories as to how the introduction of acupuncture was brought to other countries throughout the world. However, as the spread of the news that acupuncture truly was a good form of therapy spread around the world, naturally, some individuals were responsible for the introduction and teaching of the methods. In the United States, though, acupuncture has not been practiced in real widespread areas until just recently, but the benefit that acupuncture has brought to the United States has been so great throughout its time here.

All things considered, the history of acupuncture therapy has truly been an amazing feat that many people have called the miracle therapy that fixes everything. Even though the Chinese know that acupuncture truly can heal all wounds, though, there still are some sceptics who have their doubts about acupuncture therapy!

Tina Rose

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