A Short History of Acupuncture

Competing Schools of Thought have always been a dynamic and vital part of our traditional medicine. How the cause of the disease is framed will inevitably shape the direction of treatment. The Three Great Schools of the Jin Dynasty provide an excellent example. If you believe that the overriding pathogen is Fire/Heat, like Liu Wansu, then the treatment principles become Clear Heat and Nourish Yin. If your emphasis is on external pathogens, like Zhang Congzheng, then expelling pathogens upwards, downwards or outwards would be the priority. If you think like Li Gao, you might conclude that good nutrition coupled with effective digestion is the foundation of treatment. This course explores the diversity of ideas shaping acupuncture theory and practice over the last 2000 years including fundamental ideas on causes of disease, methods of point selection, point location, needle retention times, number of needles, needling styles, moxibustion and much more. We will examine the major historical figures, their writings and ideas, including much previously untranslated material. In every traditional medicine, the foundation is a thorough understanding of past debates about theory and practice, however, it is also the responsibility of every new generation to adapt and develop theories and practices which answer the clinical challenges of the times in which they live.