| Chinese acupuncture history shows us that | | | | hundred years before Christ but Chinese medical texts |
| acupuncture is an ancient medicine used to promote | | | | found from the first century before Christ, two |
| good health and maintain a healthy body. It is carried | | | | hundred year later, had no reference to acupuncture in |
| out by inserting hundreds of tiny needles into special | | | | them. |
| acupuncture points in the body where "qi". Qi is | | | | It has been a much talked about debate, but research |
| reported as being the body's natural energy source, | | | | has shown that the first needles used by those of |
| travels through channels around the body. | | | | years gone by were made from sharp Bian stone, this |
| Acupuncture can be thought of as the oldest, known | | | | changed through the years to bronze, gold and then |
| practice of medicine that is still being used today. | | | | silver. |
| Besides knowing that Chinese acupuncture history and | | | | Fast-forward to today and we still use acupuncture. |
| it's medical practice, what else do we know? | | | | The acupuncture we use is a descendant of that used |
| By following the roots of acupuncture we can see that | | | | by Daoism philosophers two thousand years ago; this |
| archeologists have found the Chinese acupuncture | | | | shows that although the material used for the needles |
| history and medical practice going back thousands of | | | | has changed, the actual treatment of acupuncture has |
| years. These remnants were found in the form of | | | | not changed through the millennia. |
| Hieroglyphs in cave dwellings and date back to one | | | | There has been ripples of talk through the scientific |
| thousand years before Jesus Christ was born, making | | | | and archeological communities that Europe may have |
| them 3,000 years old. | | | | had its own version of acupuncture pre Christ but |
| Looking even further than this, there is evidence that | | | | there is no evidence to support this. As far as we are |
| acupuncture was used thousands of years prior to the | | | | aware, acupuncture did not cross over to the west |
| archeological finds mentioned. | | | | until the late 1960's and 1970's where it became the |
| A five thousand year old mummy was found in the | | | | interest of people in Great Britain. |
| Alps mountain range and named Otzi. When scientists | | | | Acupuncture has grown in stature and become a |
| were investigating the mummy and what it could tell us, | | | | widely used alternative treatment in the western world, |
| they were interested to find that Otzi had several | | | | which shows that there must be some positive affect |
| ailments, and what they found more intriguing was that | | | | from the treatment. |
| Otzi had tattoos located at the acupuncture points that | | | | This is a complete history of acupuncture to date; it will |
| would be used today for the ailments he suffered with. | | | | be interesting to see what will lie in the future use of |
| It may be disheartening, or interesting to learn that the | | | | acupuncture. If acupuncture can last through centuries |
| origins of acupuncture in China are uncertain. The | | | | of war, illness and famine, through times where |
| reason this is uncertain is that the first mention of | | | | publication of material was not as easy as it is done, |
| acupuncture in a Chinese medical text dated to three | | | | then it is clear that it will last for many years to come. |