Acupuncture is a very ancient form of healing which pre-dates recorded history and goes back over 8000 years. A legendary sage of the time, Fu Hsi, who lived in the Yellow River area of China, is said to have keenly observed nature and its forces to formulate two significant symbols: a broken and an unbroken line. These represented the two major forces in the universe - creation and reception. This duality was yin-yang, the foundation of the theory and application of Chinese medicine.
In the Stone Ages, stones were refined into fine needles which served as instruments of healing. Many such bian stone needles were excavated from ruins in China.
The most significant milestone in the history of
acupuncture occurred during the period of Huang Di - The Yellow Emperor (2697-2597). The famous
conversations between Huang Di and his physician Qi Bo, later became The Nei Jing (The Yellow
Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine), the earliest book written on Chinese Medicine. It was
compiled around 305-204 B.C. and consists of two parts: The Su Wen (Plain Questions) - which
discusses disease etiology, pathology, differentiation and treatment and The Ling Shu
(Miraculous Pivot, Spiritual Axis), which focuses on acupuncture channels, points and needling
techniques.
Another milestone was the compilation of the Nan Jing (Book of Difficult Questions), which discusses the five element theory, hara diagnosis, eight extra meridians and other important topics and the compilation of the Systematic Classics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, which describes the theory of Zang fu, qi and blood, channels and collaterals, acupuncture points and clinical application.
Acupuncture experienced great development during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties. During this period, acupuncture became a special branch of medicine and its practitioners were named acupuncturists. Acupuncture schools appeared, and acupuncture education became part of the Imperial Medical Bureau. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the famous Physician Wang Weiyi wrote The Illustrated Manual on Points for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, which described 657 points. He also cast two bronze statues on which meridians and points were engraved for teaching purposes.
The Ming Dynasty (1568-1644) was
an enlightening period for the advancement of acupuncture. Many developments included the
revision of the classic texts, the refinement of acupuncture techniques and manipulation, the
development of Moxa sticks for indirect treatment, the development of extra points outside the
main meridians, Principle and Practice of Medicine - the encyclopaedic work of 120 volumes
written by the famous physician Wang Gendung and Zhenjin Dacheng (Principles of Acupuncture and
Moxibustion), written by Yang Jizhou. These reinforced the principles of the Nei Jing and Nan
Jing.
The introduction of Western Medicine to attend to the medical needs of a large population following the Revolution of 1911, led to the decline of acupuncture and Chinese herbology. It was only in 1950 that Chairman Mao, leader of the Communist Party, officially united Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Medicine and acupuncture became customary in many hospitals.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, acupuncture research continued with further study of the ancient texts, clinical effects on various diseases, acupuncture anaesthesia and acupuncture's effect on internal organs.
Acupuncture continues to play an important role in China's medical system, which has taken the lead in researching the many aspects of acupuncture and its clinical application. Although acupuncture has become modernised and newer techniques of practice are being developed, it will never lose its connection to a rich and profound philosophy, established thousands of years ago.
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Having originated in ancient China as a central element of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture soon spread across the world, including in India. Given the long history of Ayurveda - the science of life, in India, it found an organic resonance with this indigenous system of healing and well-being. According to Ayurveda, five primary elements govern life's essential energy or prana in the human body and indeed the energy that moves the universe: sky, air, fire, water and earth. The flow of vital energy is regulated through these five elements beneath the skin, flowing across the whole body through meridians or invisible pathways. When the forces that govern the body are in balance and perfectly synchronised, the energy flow in the body allows good health and freedom from disease. However, any excess or deficiency of energy leads to an imbalance and thereby sickness and disease. This philosophy is similar to the TCM understanding of the Five Elements, which include wood, fire, earth, metal and water. In striking similarity, Ayurveda included suchi veda - a kind of pricking therapy, practiced with stone, bamboo, bone or metal instruments, in order to treat disease, which could not become as popular as healing using Ayurvedic herbs and medicines.
Even though records suggest the practice of
acupuncture in India through the 6th Century, modern practice of acupuncture can be
traced back to the efforts of Dr Bijay Kumar Basu, from the Calcutta Medical College, who
trained in acupuncture and moxibustion in China, in 1959. Upon his return, he not only
set up his practice, but also started training medical students and practitioners in
acupuncture. In 1977, he set up the Acupuncture Association of India in the hope of
bringing together acupuncturists from across the country. Dr Basu Memorial Research and Training
Institute of Acupuncture, the first acupuncture institute in India was set up in 1990.
The Government of West Bengal legally recognised acupuncture in 1996. This was followed
by the recognition of acupuncture as a mode of therapy to be practiced by registered medical
practitioners by the Ministry of Health in 2003. The list of registered medical
practitioners was amended to include dentists in 2014 and physiotherapists in
2016.
In order to get acupuncture recognised as an independent system of medicine and its inclusion in the health care delivery system in India, a National Coordination Committee, under the leadership of Dr Raman Kapur, was formed in 2009. With the increase in its popularity, acupuncture was recognised as a system of alternative medicine in 2017, by the Government of Maharashtra.
An Inter-Departmental Committee set up by the Government for identifying viable new systems of medicine and therapy, in 2018 recommended that acupuncture, already recognised as a mode of therapy, can now be accepted as an independent system of health care for the indications for which there is evidence and expertise exists for teaching, training and certification.
Upon consideration of the
recommendations of the IDC Report, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare constituted the
Apex Committee on Acupuncture in 2019, for the promotion and regulation of acupuncture as
a system of health care/ therapy.
Meanwhile, acupuncture has been fast gaining great popularity in India. According to A survey, in the year 2017, there were over 30 acupuncture institutions, more than 200 licenced acupuncture experts and many lakh acupuncturists in India. In close to four decades of clinical practice, we have treated all types of diseases and conditions across varied age groups, with acupuncture, except those that expressly require surgical intervention. Our experience bears out that acupuncture has clinical efficacy in treating neurological, respiratory, gastrointestinal, orthopaedic, gynaecological, ENT, dermatological and ophthalmological diseases in close to 80 per cent of those treated by us.
Patients have found the greatest relief and cure from musculoskeletal disorders such as headaches, cervical spondylitis, stiff neck, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, lower back pain, sciatica, arthritis, etc. These are followed by respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies, sinusitis; eye conditions like optic atrophy; GIT diseases like gastritis, hiccups, acidity, bloating; gynaecological conditions including irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, infertility; skin diseases like eczema, urticarial and neurological conditions like hemiplegia and facial paralysis.