Series · TCM Heritage · Part 1 of 9
Acupuncture comes from traditional Chinese medicine and has been used in some form for at least 2,500 years, according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Its classical ideas are written down in the Huang Di Nei Jing, compiled more than 2,200 years ago, and in 2010 UNESCO recognized acupuncture and moxibustion as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This article opens our TCM Heritage series: a walk through the history and ideas behind the practice, from ancient China to a clinic in Wexford.
The classic text: the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
The Huang Di Nei Jing (《黄帝内经》, Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) was compiled during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). UNESCO describes it as the earliest and most important written work of traditional Chinese medicine and added it to the Memory of the World Register in 2011. The edition UNESCO recognized was printed with woodblocks in 1339.
UNESCO calls it the foundational, most representative text of the tradition.
Needle and moxa: zhen jiu
In Chinese, acupuncture is usually called zhen jiu (针灸) — “needle” and “moxa”. The two have traditionally gone together:
- Acupuncture inserts fine needles at specific points.
- Moxibustion warms points by burning moxa, made from dried mugwort leaves — either as small cones placed on points or as sticks held at a distance (UNESCO).
The traditional idea: a body connected by channels
UNESCO summarizes the traditional theory this way: the human body is seen as a small universe connected by channels, and stimulating points on those channels is meant to restore the body’s balance. Later articles in this series look at these ideas — qi, meridians, yin and yang — one at a time.
It is important to read these as traditional concepts. Modern research studies acupuncture with different tools and language, and its findings are summarized by agencies such as NCCIH.
How the knowledge was passed down
For most of its history, acupuncture was learned through verbal instruction and demonstration, from master to disciple or within families. Today it is also taught through formal academic programs (UNESCO), and it is practiced not only in China but across Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Acupuncture in America today
In the United States, most states license acupuncturists, and the FDA regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices that must be sterile and labeled for single use only (NCCIH). In Pennsylvania, acupuncturists are licensed by the State Board of Medicine — see How to Check If an Acupuncturist Is Licensed in Pennsylvania. How acupuncture arrived in the U.S. is a story of its own, coming later in this series.
In the Pittsburgh area, Dr. Xiaoming Matz trained at Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has served the community for nine years. Read more about Dr. Matz.
What’s next in the series
Next in TCM Heritage: What Is Qi? — the idea at the center of traditional Chinese medicine, explained in plain English.
This article describes the history and traditional theory of acupuncture for educational purposes. It is not medical advice. Don’t use acupuncture to postpone seeing a health care provider about a health problem.