People are often surprised by how much history and science stand behind acupuncture, so here are some of my favorite facts to share with you. Some of them surprised me too!
1. It may be more than 5,000 years old, and not only in China.
Ötzi, a man frozen in the Alps more than 5,000 years ago, has tattoos that line up with traditional acupuncture points. Researchers published the finding in The Lancet in 1999, and it suggests a form of acupuncture was practiced in Europe thousands of years ago.
2. The first needles were stones and bones.
The earliest acupuncture tools were sharpened stones called bian. Later, Chinese healers made needles from bone, including fish bones, and from bamboo, thousands of years before the fine, sterile, single-use stainless steel needles I use today.
3. A presidential trip made it famous in America.
Acupuncture became widely known in the United States after President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972.
4. The FDA regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices.
In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassified acupuncture needles from experimental devices to regulated medical devices for licensed practitioners.
5. In Florida, acupuncture is primary health care.
Under Florida law, acupuncture is a form of primary health care, and licensed acupuncturists practice as primary health care providers.
6. The National Institutes of Health weighed in.
In 1997, an NIH panel found clear evidence that acupuncture relieves nausea after surgery and chemotherapy, as well as dental pain. The panel named many more conditions where it can help, including headaches, low back pain, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and tennis elbow.
7. The World Health Organization reviewed the research.
The WHO’s review of controlled clinical trials lists more than 100 conditions acupuncture has been studied for, including more than two dozen where it has been proven effective.
8. Doctors recommend it before pills for back pain.
In 2017, the American College of Physicians recommended that patients with low back pain try non-drug treatments such as acupuncture first, before medications.
9. One of the biggest studies included nearly 18,000 patients.
A 2012 analysis of 29 clinical trials concluded that acupuncture is “a reasonable referral option for patients with chronic pain.”
10. The military uses it.
In 2001, an Air Force physician developed “Battlefield Acupuncture,” using tiny needles in the ear to relieve pain. It has been used with service members deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
11. Olympians wear the marks proudly.
Remember the round purple marks on Olympic swimmers at the 2008 Beijing Games, and again at the 2016 Rio Games? That was cupping, one of the therapies I use right here in my office!
12. It’s part of world heritage.
In 2010, acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine were added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Curious how a tiny needle can do so much? Read How Acupuncture Works, or see what acupuncture can help you with on my Acupuncture page. Ready to try it for yourself? Schedule your appointment or call me at (904) 238-1000 🙂
