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History of Acupuncture
Meaning 'to prick with a needle', the word acupuncture was coined by William Ten Rhyne, a Dutch physician who was responsible in bringing the technique to Europe.
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Recorded in an ancient book entitled Nei Ching Su Wen or "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine", the treatment started coincidentally.
In China, the history of acupuncture started when Chinese warriors who survived the misfortune of being struck by arrows in war reported that while they were injured, their previous disease and pain in other parts of their body had lessened in intensity and even were miraculously cured.
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.. performed on a man for the removal of brain tumor.
He reported that only one needle was used - in the patient's right shoulder while the patient talked to him via an interpreter. Reston said the patient was perfectly conscious and ate orange slices while his "skull was wide open".
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In other parts of the world
Although we normally think China as the place where everything started, there are certain places in the world that practice something similar to acupuncture.
In the tropical rainforest of Amazon, a tribe was reported to use blowpipes to insert tiny arrows into one part of the body to cure a malady in another, many of the points coinciding with the one used by the Chinese. In African Plains, witch doctors also use piercing in one part of body to treat another part of a patient’s anatomy. Apart from that, there were also reports by anthropologists that people who live in the Arctic and Northern Tundra uses sharp stones for similar use.
No laughing matter
In the western world, this form of treatment was laughable. In 1960s it was considered superstitious or shaman-like treatment rather than an alternative method of practice. The attitude of the public changed due to an event that was well publicized by a front-page story written by a New York Times reporter, James Reston.
 In 1972, the reporter underwent an emergency appendectomy when he was in Peking. The operation was successful but after the operation he experienced considerable pain. A Chinese acupuncturist was sent to help him and after inserting three needles into his right elbow and one below each knee, some herbs were also burned over Reston's stomach. He reported that he experienced " noticeable relaxation of the pressure and distention within an hour and no recurrence of the problem thereafter".
Following this, he toured major Chinese hospitals where he witnessed the use of acupuncture as anesthetic, including one performed on a man for the removal of brain tumor.
He reported that only one needle was used - in the patient's right shoulder while the patient talked to him via an interpreter. Reston said the patient was perfectly conscious and ate orange slices while his "skull was wide open".
He told the Western world that the needles actually worked in easing his pain after the surgery. That front-page publicity created an enormous demand for acupuncture, probably much of it from patients who were fed up with orthodox treatment and hungry for an alternative.
Acupuncture brought to the west
When doctors realized that a large numbers of patients were more willing to part with their money on acupuncture than they normally do with regular remedies, more and more doctors started to take the idea seriously and learn the technique. In the 17th century, to cater for the public demand, acupuncture was brought to Europe.
Modern recognition
This form of treatment is recognized by World Health Organization (WHO) in treating a wide range of illnesses and is widely used in China during childbirth, dentistry and operation. At the moment, this treatment is seeing a revival and has also been modernized. Nowadays, apart from the normal acupuncture procedure, herbs, ultrasound, laser beams and electric currents are used during treatment to enhance the medical impact.
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