The History of Acupuncture

The practice of Acupuncture is believed to have existed as early as 5,000 years ago and perhaps even before that.

This is estimated from the discovery of five thousand year-old mummies that archeologists have found to have specific tattoos on their bodies that appear to be markings of meridian points.

What researches believe is that people who had received treatments would get certain needle points tattooed onto their bodies so that they could remember the locations of the points. They were then able to perform self-treatment with no assistance.

That is believed to be one of the earliest forms of traditional Chinese medicine.

It is also widely accepted that the first treatments involving manipulating meridian energies first appeared in China.

Central Europe

However, evidence found in ruins and catacombs has also shown that Central Europe was also home to acupuncture and related energy therapies in the BC era. Several tattooed mummies and hieroglyphs also point to the practice being widespread throughout Europe as well.

It is not known exactly when energy meridians were first discovered, or when the Chinese or early Europeans began discovering how to use them for healing and pain relief.

Early Chinese Documents

The earliest Chinese medical texts that reference the practice date back to about 300BC.

However, we know that this, and other forms of ancient Chinese medicine, have been around for at least hundreds if not several thousands of years before that.

Hieroglyphs that date back to 1000BC have been found in China that display the practice of piercing the points of the body with sharp stones. This is believed to be one of the earliest forms of energy meridian manipulation.

Also the discovery of Bian stones - sharp stones used to pierce the body - in many ruins across Asia has led to the acknowledgement of further use of body piercing and use of meridians in earlier years.

Eventually the use of sharp rocks evolved into the use of needles today.

Myths and Origins

One legend indicates that the very first discoveries involving acupuncture techniques has to do with early Chinese soldiers who were wounded by arrows but lived.

It is rumored that many of these soldiers' bodies would actually be relieved of pain in other parts of the body after the arrows' contact.

Early Chinese doctors who examined these patients realized that this healing occurred when the sharp ends of arrowheads would come in contact with certain points on the soldiers' bodies. This eventually led to experiments that discovered the meridian points and further evolved into the traditional art of acupuncture.

Modern Era in America

In the 1970?s, a famous article in the New York Times appeared as the first major publication involving this form of traditional Chinese therapy in America.

The author of the article wrote about his experience during a trip to China where he had undergone surgery.

He wrote that after experiencing pain and discomfort after his surgery, he had decided to try the popular Chinese method of pain relief instead.

Miraculously, he said, the pain had subsided within minutes of his treatment. His high acclaim of the procedures led to a big buzz in other media, and in the minds of American citizens.

Soon after, the National Acupuncture Association was formed to introduce the needle-piercing practice into America in a proper scientific introduction.

After the creation of the UCLA Acupuncture Pain Clinic in 1972, the first medical school to teach it in America. When the IRS decided one year later that the treatment was legally tax-deductable as a medical expense, the practice began its journey to full acceptance throughout the Western world both socially and legally.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, and especially Acupuncture, has continued to grow in the United States and other nations ever since.