Acupuncture is by no means from the domain of modern medicine. It is a form of traditional medicine that was extensively used in China for a very long time, before it slowly found its way to the rest of the world, especially the West. While acupuncture has never been considered an independent body of medicine, it has been extensively used in China from the very ancient days, during the days of the different Chinese dynasties. The first recorded usage of acupuncture was during the reign of the third great Chinese Emperor – Huang Di. The date of the initial discovery is generally accepted to be the year 2696 B.C., right through to 2598 B.C., during which Huang Di rules China.
After the initial discovery and subsequent use, there have been improvements made right through time. For a considerable period of time, acupuncture stayed within the confines of China. There were periods in between when acupuncture was banned in China. The communists initially tried to ban acupuncture, however, Chairman Mao Zedong recognized the importance of acupuncture in the medical scheme of things, and not only lifted the ban but went a step further; he officially declared acupuncture to be on par with Western healing systems, and that was how in 1950, acupuncture came to be practiced in Chinese hospitals. The credit for introducing acupuncture to the West goes to the noted American commentator James Reston.
After the initial discovery and subsequent use, there have been improvements made right through time. For a considerable period of time, acupuncture stayed within the confines of China. There were periods in between when acupuncture was banned in China. The communists initially tried to ban acupuncture, however, Chairman Mao Zedong recognized the importance of acupuncture in the medical scheme of things, and not only lifted the ban but went a step further; he officially declared acupuncture to be on par with Western healing systems, and that was how in 1950, acupuncture came to be practiced in Chinese hospitals. The credit for introducing acupuncture to the West goes to the noted American commentator James Reston.