There can be no doubt that from an historical perspective Chinese medicine, and acupuncture as one of its modalities, have as illustrious a pedigree as any other established medical discipline, be it allopathic or ayurvedic. The question is, does this long history have any relevance or practical application today?

The ancient Greeks may have believed the body to be composed of bile, black bile, blood and phlegm, but for modern western medicine things have moved on somewhat. From early times, Chinese medicine developed a different conceptual and theoretical basis to that of the west, relying on observation they investigated not only the material substance of things, but also the natural energy within the universe, which connects things together and is a catalyst for change.

They call this energy qi (chi) and its movement explains the patterns and rhythms of life, for example the changing seasons, the growth from foetus to child to adult to death and so on. Thus the Chinese never developed a detailed knowledge of physical anatomy, but instead focused on understanding how different parts of the physical and energetic body relate to one another and affect each other and how the individual relates to the environment and nature as a whole. The core theories which underpin Chinese medicine were in place by the 1^st - 2^nd centuries BC; these included the concepts of qi (vital energy), wu xing (5 phases) and yin yang. The body was viewed as a microcosm of the universe and as such could be affected by the same influences of heat, dryness, damp, cold and wind. Good health could be maintained through an understanding of the natural movement of qi, in particular through the zangfu (organ systems) and jingluo (meridians) and then using pressure, needles, herbs or exercises to restore this movement.

In short, as Joseph Needham states in his book Celestial Lancets "Acupuncture is simply a system of medical treatment which was already two thousand years old when modern science was born, and which had developed in a civilisation quite different from that of Europe."

The earliest medical texts describing the jingluo were discovered in a tomb dating from 167 BC, but the ideas within them certainly developed over the preceding centuries. Acupuncture treatment is first mentioned in a text dating from 90 BC, when it is recorded as being used to revive an unconscious prince who lived in the 6^th century BC. We can therefore be fairly confident that the technique has existed well into antiquity with the use first of stone and bone needles, perhaps to press or puncture points, and later of ones made of bronze, silver or gold. Early texts describe its use in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including fevers, skin conditions and tumours.

Over the intervening two thousand or so years the practice of Chinese medicine has been, by no means, static or unchanging. Although these core theories have remained remarkably intact, the manner in which they have been interpreted and applied has been adapted and changed to suit both time and place. Individual doctors over the centuries have left their imprint, recorded in an impressive body of case studies. These, together with the classical texts and their accompanying commentaries, make up a body of knowledge which continues to be advanced today.

The use of acupuncture quickly became established across the Far East, with many neighbouring states sending doctors to train in China and forming their own schools, such as the Imperial Medical College of Japan which opened in the 7^th century. The most recent changes have occurred since Chinese medicine has come into contact with the western model. Acupuncture was known in Europe from as early as the 16^th century, as western traders and missionaries gained footholds in the Far East; over the following centuries there was some interest in its practice and use across Europe.

However, it was in the 20^th century, with the advent of communism and the subsequent opening of China during the 1970s, that the practice has become really well known. In particular, during President Nixon’s 1971 visit, westerners were for the first time able to witness the impressive effects of acupuncture as part of the established medical system. As part of their systemising and modernising of the country the communist government created Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a standardised form of teaching and practice which draws on some of the ancient ideas and techniques, but presents them as a fixed methodology. This has the advantage of being easy to teach and reproduce, resulting in acupuncture being used throughout China alongside allopathic medicine and it becoming increasingly popular throughout the world, but the disadvantage that it has lost much of its flexibility and intuitiveness. To a large extent it is this growing popularity which answers the question of whether acupuncture has a place in the modern world.

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Content last updated: 11/08/2005

About our expert

Rosey Grandage is course leader of the Diploma in Qi Gong Tuina at the University of Westminster and also lectures on the BSc in Acupuncture. As well as a degree in International History and Politics, she obtained a qualification in acupuncture and tuina massage in Beijing in 1992.
In 2003, she set up Prospect Seminars which organises workshops for practitioners of Chinese medicine. She has worked as an acupuncturist at the Pain Clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital, London; sat on the executive committee of the British Acupuncture Council; chaired their committee for the Survey on Adverse Events and continues to be a member of their Professional Conduct Committee. Rosey practices as a physiotherapist, acupuncturist and tuina practitioner in West London.

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