Did you know that there are many different acupuncture styles and techniques? How acupuncture evolved in different regions of Asia reflects the culture and history of each region. Acupuncture’s beginnings are traced back to ancient China. Chinese practitioners brought the treatments to the surrounding countries where techniques were adapted and evolved based on the political and cultural events in the country.

A Brief History of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China about 2000 years ago. Around 1500 years ago it was brought to Japan by the monk-physician Chiso. For many years people from China and Japan exchanged knowledge, developing new techniques together and establishing schools.

But beginning in 1635 the Japanese government closed off the country in a period of isolation that lasted 200 years. Isolation influenced the way Japanese medicine of all types developed. Moxabustion became very popular, with laypeople often performing the treatment themselves at home. One of the only countries Japan still traded with was Holland, which led to Japanese medicine being influenced by Western medicine.

China’s Emperor excluded acupuncture from the Imperial Medical Institute in 1822, and traditional forms of medicines fell out of common usage due to Western influence. Not too long after that (1868) in Japan, the Japanese government ended support for traditional medicine, giving preference to Western-style medical philosophy and effectively ending the period of time when acupuncturists and physicians were equally respected. Interestingly, around this same time Western countries like the United States and Britain were fascinated by acupuncture and traditional medicines on the Asian continent.

In 1929 China completely banned acupuncture and other traditional medicine. Meanwhile, in 1930’s Japan, acupuncture and moxabustion clinics were well-established, and were making innovations in their science and treatment including the needle guide tube, meridian therapy, and taping needles.

When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 they revived Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, establishing research institutes and integrating TCM into the mainstream medical system.

The herbal side of TCM which had been introduced with acupuncture, grew and developed into Kampo medicine in Japan. Kampo medicine is fully integrated with the Japanese health care system. One estimate indicates that 70% of Japanese physicians regularly prescribe herbal Kampo medicines to their patients.

Acupuncture Styles

Chinese Acupuncture

Chinese acupuncture uses larger needles that promote increased sensation and stimulation. Practitioners may also rotate the needles to achieve increased sensation. Chinese-style practitioners tend to use more needles over a wider area of the body.

Japanese Acupuncture

This style relies more heavily on palpation of the abdomen, back, and meridian pulses to diagnose due to the history of Japanese acupuncture as an exclusive occupation of the blind. Practitioners of this style tend to use thinner needles inserted more shallowly. Because Japanese acupuncturists were blind, they developed a “guiding tube” to help insert the needles. This invention is now widely used among acupuncturists.

Korean Acupuncture

Diagnosis in Korean acupuncture is focused on a full constitutional analysis, stemming from Chinese medicine. A constitutional diagnosis requires a completely separate book of prescriptions. Korean acupuncture also focuses on the extremities like the hand or ear. Most of the standard acupuncture layouts in Korea use only four needles. The four needles are split two and two - two needles sedate or reduce excess Qi in one organ system, while two other needles tonify or increase Qi in a second organ system. Herbal medicines offered in Korean acupuncture can also slightly differ from traditional Chinese formulations because some herbs cannot grow in Korea’s climate.