page_title: Acupuncture
section_title: Origins
hierarchical_section_title: Acupuncture / History / Origins
caption_attribution_description: English: Acupuncture chart from the Ming Dynasty: The Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin Euskara: Ming Dynastiaren garaiko akupuntura erakusteko irudia. Català: Mapa de punts d'aplicació d'acupuntura. Dinastia Ming. Deutsch: Meridianbild der Ming-Dynastie: Jueyin Pericardium-der Hand Español: Mapa de puntos de aplicación de acupuntura. Dinastía Ming. Français&#160;: Carte des points d'acupuncture datant de la dynastie Ming. Nederlands: Acupunctuurkaart uit de Ming-dynastie. Slovenščina: Akupunkturna »karta«&#160;iz dinastije Ming. Türkçe: Çigong'da Akupunktur'da da kullanılan meridyenlerin önemi vardır. 中文: 手厥陰心包經.
context_page_description: Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a key component of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience because the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientific knowledge, and it has been characterized as quackery. There is a range of acupuncture variants which originated in different philosophies, and techniques vary depending on the country in which it is performed. It is most often used to attempt pain relief, though acupuncturists say that it can also be used for a wide range of other conditions. Acupuncture is generally used only in combination with other forms of treatment.
  The conclusions of trials and systematic reviews of acupuncture are inconsistent, which suggests that it is not effective. An overview of Cochrane reviews found that acupuncture is not effective for a wide range of conditions. A systematic review conducted by medical scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth found little evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness in treating pain. Overall, the evidence suggests that short-term treatment with acupuncture does not produce long-term benefits.
context_section_description: Acupuncture, along with moxibustion, is one of the oldest practices of traditional Chinese medicine. Most historians believe the practice began in China, though there are some conflicting narratives on when it originated. Academics David Ramey and Paul Buell said the exact date acupuncture was founded depends on the extent to which dating of ancient texts can be trusted and the interpretation of what constitutes acupuncture.
  According to an article in Rheumatology, the first documentation of an "organized system of diagnosis and treatment" for acupuncture was in The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huangdi Neijing) from about 100 BC. Gold and silver needles found in the tomb of Liu Sheng from around 100 BC are believed to be the earliest archeological evidence of acupuncture, though it is unclear if that was their purpose. According to Plinio Prioreschi, the earliest known historical record of acupuncture is the Shih-Chi ("Record of History"), written by a historian around 100 BC. It is believed that this text was documenting what was established practice at that time.
caption: Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty (c. 1368–1644)
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