has a well-documented history in China spanning over 2,000
years, but some studies believe it originated almost 4,000 years
ago. In fact, examples of the earliest acupuncture needles made
of stone (bian) and ceramic predate the development of iron.
Hieroglyphics of both acupuncture and moxibustion date from the
Shang Dynasty, three thousand years ago. Taoism and Confucianism
have had a great influence over the development of medicine in
China. One of the main tenets of Confucianism stresses that the
body is holy, and must remain intact through life and into
death. The Taoists, on the other hand, believe that the key to
health is the maintenance of balance between opposing forces in
nature, symbolized most powerfully by yin and yang. The
philosophy of Chinese medicine can be said to exist between
these two philosophies: disharmony brings 'dis-ease', and a
doctor can cure the patient through detailed and accurate
observations of the external and emotional life of the patient.
Acupuncture and moxibustion have bo