history of acupuncture

Acupuncture; It is one of the oldest medical sciences applied almost in the world. This medical science, which dates back to 5000 years ago, is advancing day by day by taking its respected place all over the world. It is known as the oldest book written in the field of medicine today in the “Huang Di Nei Jing = Classical Book of Internal Medicine”, which was written in the Yellow Kingdom period of China exactly 4700 years ago. This book is said to have been written even before Shen Nung, known as the father of Chinese Medicine on Acupuncture and Moxa (a treatment with heat).
According to Shen Nung, there is an energy in the body; it is also said to circulate throughout the body. In China, this energy is called Qi = Chi. Qi is considered as the spiritual, emotional=attitude, behavior, mental=mind and physical activity of the body. According to this belief in China; Qi=energy; It is under the influence of universal forces in the sense of YIN = negative and YANG = positive. According to this belief in China, any shortage, imbalance or interruption of body energy (Chi) causes the balance between Yin and Yang to deteriorate, which causes people to become ill.
According to Chinese medicine, Chi = Energy; It is carried and circulated in the body by some special meridians and channels. 12 of these meridians are in pairs, on both sides of the body. There are also 2 extra meridians running from the front and back of the body. These meridians loop vertically up and down the body under the skin. There are also acupuncture points on these meridians. Any blockage, deficiency or imbalance in the energy flow along the meridian will disrupt the balance between Yin and Yang, so diseases occur. Acupuncture is done by inserting needles into special acupuncture points on the meridian to provide this balance. Thus, it is applied as sessions (15–45 minutes) at regular intervals to overcome the disease.
Yin and Yang has become one of the most important theory (the philosophy of Tao) used in the discussion of acupuncture treatment.
TAO philosophy:
YIN=negative, female, night, dark, passive, cold, moisture, electron, base
YANG=positive, male, day, bright, active, warm, dry, proton and acid represents i. If you pay attention, these two elements are:
1- Opposite to each other (negative-positive)
2- Following each other (like day comes when night ends)
3- There is a force that attracts each other (like negative attracts positive) )
4-Each element containing each other, albeit a little, or transforming into each other.
5-To give birth to each other and to continue their generation (Every woman (Yin) or man (Yang) has a mother (Yin) and a father (Yang).
According to this belief in China, these elements are always in balance in healthy bodies. While Yin meridians are located in the inner parts of the body (the medial = inner part of the arms and legs), which need more protection, Yang is located in the outer and back parts of the body and limbs (legs and arms). ) Yin=feminine in need of protection.The front and outer back parts of the legs and arms (the hairy part) is Yang=male, which is more resistant to impacts.
The oldest therapeutic needles used in acupuncture treatment are the hard needles called BIAN 550 years before Christ When we look at ancient Egypt (2500 years ago), the Egyptians used acupuncture needle to cauterize a certain area of ​​the ear with an acupuncture needle and use it in the treatment of sciatica
. After the end of the monarchy period in China in 1911, Acupuncture began to spread more after China closed the closed box period. This spread gained momentum especially after 1944, when Chairman Mao Zedong gave importance to this issue. Acupuncture was started to be practiced in an international hospital for the first time in China in 1945. Since 1948, it has been given formal training.
It has been approved and supported by WHO (World Health Organization) since 1970.
In 1998, America’s NIH (National Institute of Health) declared that acupuncture is very effective in the treatment of many diseases.
The American president visited China for the first time in 1972. In fact, after one of the American journalists performed the appendicitis surgery painlessly under acupuncture anesthesia without any general anesthesia at that time, American scientists started to receive training by being very interested in acupuncture from this date on.
When we look at the European countries, the first country interested in acupuncture was France during the Second World War (1945).
Acupuncture, which was previously defined as alternative medicine, is now defined as complementary medicine.
Acupuncture methods are applied in countries such as Germany, France, Switzerland, USA and England, and treatment centers applying these methods are supported and encouraged by universities and foundations. Health Insurance companies in America, Switzerland and Germany have covered acupuncture treatment. In our country, acupuncture polyclinics have started to be opened in universities.
Acupuncture is applied in almost half of the applied hospitals of Medical Faculties in Turkey today. In addition, the Ministry developed and finalized the Acupuncture directorate on September 17, 2002.
It has been widely applied in almost every medical school and university in the world for 30 years. Acupuncture was officially accepted as a scientific treatment method, not an alternative, by the Ministry of Health on May 29, 1991 in Turkey.
The Ministry of Health lastly developed and finalized the regulation on the implementation of Acupuncture (Official Gazette dated 17.09.2002, 24879) in 2002 with private health institutions where treatment was applied. Physicians who do not have an “Acupuncture Treatment Application Certificate” in health institutions will not be able to practice acupuncture treatment.