A Look At Chinese Acupuncture

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A Look At Chinese Acupuncture
Regina Schwartz
Chinese Medicine

Chinese Acupuncture dates back way over 5000 years easy in China. Chinese Acupuncture can be dated back to the 1st millennium B.C.E. in China. There are hieroglyphics dating back to 1000 BC that imply the use of acupuncture. There were stone probes found in prehistoric caves that archeologists are of the consensus are the first acupuncture instruments. Those probes were dated over 5000 years as well. It is believed that the stone probes and pointed rocks found were for treatment of ancient disease and involved some sort of bloodletting including some techniques similar to what we know as acupuncture. The archaeological finds date back to the Han dynasty from 202 BC to 220 AD. It is believed that acupressure and massage came before the insertion of needles.

Chinese Acupuncture with the use of needles; along with the system of meridians dates back to 2000 years. In approximately 200 B.C.E. the Yellow Emperor wrote the Internal Medicine Classic called Huang Di Nei Jing laid down the basics of acupuncture theory, philosophy and principals. This text which dates back to 305-204 BC describes the use of acupuncture. This ancient text is the foundation for Chinese acupuncture today.



Traditional Chinese Medicine is created from the religion of Taoism (pronounced Daoism). Taoism looked to nature to seek an understanding of the human body and its functions. It looked at the elements, the seasons and growth of plants and compared them to the body and how energy flows in the body. Ancient Chinese Doctors started to compare disease with natural phenomena. Ex. A drought can lead to a fire and a cough can be a fire in the body leading to fever. Thus the concept of the elements, seasons and nature was correlated to the body parts and functions as well.

Chinese Acupuncture is performed by inserting needles into particular points in the body, and manipulating the needles upon insertion. Needle placement is based on the idea of the meridians and pressure points. Meridians are channels that interconnect allowing qi or vital energy to flow through the body. The twelve standard meridians can be found located on the arms and legs. There are also eight special meridians. As with the concept of negative and positive polarities called ...