A Short History of Acupuncture

Course overview

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.