The Practice of Acupuncture

The primitive history of China is divided into two eras. These are the Old Stone Age (more than 10,000 years ago) and the New Stone Age (10,000 – 4,000 years ago) periods.

In the Old Stone Age period, knives made of stone were used for medical procedures. During the New Stone Age, stones were made into sharp needles and served as healing instruments. They were called ‘bian’ stones. Metal needles soon replaced stones, including those made of bronze, silver and even gold.

The development of acupuncture as we know it started between the years 3045-204BC in a medical manual called Nei-Jing - The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine.
The first part of this manual describes anatomy, physiology, various syndromes, the yin and the yang, the five elements, treatments and man’s relationship with nature.
The second part of the manual is all about acupuncture, including descriptions of the meridians (the pathways of vital energy in the body), the functions of the organs, the functions of acupuncture points, types of needles, types of chi and much more.

Between AD 260 and 265, the physician Huang Fu Mi organized much of the ancient Chinese medical texts into one comprehensive manual, which he called The Systematic Classics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Over the years, acupuncture texts continued to be revised and updated.

In the 20th century – in 1950 to be precise – Chairman Mao moved for a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Acupuncture was now being offered in hospitals across China.


Acupuncture research continued apace during the 1950s and 1960s with further research into ancient texts, acupuncture anesthesia and acupuncture’s effect on internal organs.

To the present day, acupuncture plays a crucial role in the medical system of China. China is at the forefront of researching all important aspects and applications of acupuncture and its effects. Acupuncture has become modernized, yet it is still deeply tied to the ancient philosophy of nature, balance and well-being.