A historical Survey of Acupuncture
A Historical Survey of the Three Types of Acupuncture
1. Introduction to Acupuncture There are many forms of medicine but no other has withstood the test of time as well as acupuncture. There is evidence to suggest medicine in ancient China began as early as the Stone Age (CAM 3). It continues to develop under the same theories today. Acupuncture began traveling out of China in the beginning of the Current Era (Ma 94) and has now spread over the entire world. As in other academic subjects many different schools of thought have developed in acupuncture. The three most represented styles are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kiiko Style Japanese Acupuncture, and Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. Though each style can find its roots in ancient Chinese texts, due to their unique history and development they vary in distinctive ways from diagnosis to treatment.
1.1 Ancient Acupuncture History and the Development of TCM Acupuncture is regarded as an ancient medical practice, this being said the exact origins of its principles, theories, and even beginning of practice is very unclear. Although it is common beliefs that acupuncture dates back nearly 3000 years, there is very little hard evidence to support it (Ernst 2). An even more surprising revelation came from an “Ice Man” found in the Alps who was believed to have lived over 5000 years ago. He had a series of tattoos on his skin that are thought to resemble a medical theory similar to those of the meridians of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The Ice Man was found with 15 groupings of tattoos. Nine of them being incredibly close to traditional acupuncture points of the urinary bladder meridian, another three are located on the meridian of the gall bladder. Other tattoos were located very close the spleen and liver meridians (Dorfer et al 1023-24). From x-rays taken, this Ice Man suffered from abdominal distress as well as arthrosis of the hip, knee, ankle, and lumbar spine. It is believed that the
1. Introduction to Acupuncture There are many forms of medicine but no other has withstood the test of time as well as acupuncture. There is evidence to suggest medicine in ancient China began as early as the Stone Age (CAM 3). It continues to develop under the same theories today. Acupuncture began traveling out of China in the beginning of the Current Era (Ma 94) and has now spread over the entire world. As in other academic subjects many different schools of thought have developed in acupuncture. The three most represented styles are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kiiko Style Japanese Acupuncture, and Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. Though each style can find its roots in ancient Chinese texts, due to their unique history and development they vary in distinctive ways from diagnosis to treatment.
1.1 Ancient Acupuncture History and the Development of TCM Acupuncture is regarded as an ancient medical practice, this being said the exact origins of its principles, theories, and even beginning of practice is very unclear. Although it is common beliefs that acupuncture dates back nearly 3000 years, there is very little hard evidence to support it (Ernst 2). An even more surprising revelation came from an “Ice Man” found in the Alps who was believed to have lived over 5000 years ago. He had a series of tattoos on his skin that are thought to resemble a medical theory similar to those of the meridians of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The Ice Man was found with 15 groupings of tattoos. Nine of them being incredibly close to traditional acupuncture points of the urinary bladder meridian, another three are located on the meridian of the gall bladder. Other tattoos were located very close the spleen and liver meridians (Dorfer et al 1023-24). From x-rays taken, this Ice Man suffered from abdominal distress as well as arthrosis of the hip, knee, ankle, and lumbar spine. It is believed that the
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