The History of Korean Acupuncture

The acupuncture needle is a medical instrument used to cure illnesses by the method of withdrawing blood and stimulating certain points on people and animals by pricking them. In prehistoric times, sharp edges of stone were used, and as time went by, people began using animal bones and broken pieces of porcelain instead. Then, they developed needles made of copper and brass, and later on, gold and silver ones. However, needles made of metal could be easily broken, rusted and contaminated by Clostridium tetani. In the 1960s, needles made of stainless steel that didn't rust or break easily were invented, and these days, needles made of special metal are used.

Then, when were needles first used? When we take a look at the records, the approximate time is after the Han Dynasty of China. It is known that acupuncture came into use after Nei-jing was written, which was around 200 BC. So it has been about 2200 years since needles were used for medical treatment. When compared with other medical sciences, let alone Western medicine, even those that are geological adjacent, such as Indian Medicine and Arabian Medicine, show no trace of acupuncture. In other words, acupuncture is a unique characteristic of Korean medicine that differentiates it from other medical sciences. The influence acupuncture had on medicine can be summed up as the birth of the notion of meridians Merdian concept, the development of pulse diagnosis taking the pulse, and the discovery of spots on the body (acupoint) as treatment points.

Let's briefly take a look at the history of Korean acupuncture.

Stone acupuncture, which can be said to be the beginning of acupuncture, was also used in our country and the remains have been excavated. During the Silla Dynasty, fame of acupuncture went across the sea to Japan. In the 9th year of King Seon Duk, it is said that a Japanese man named Ki Ha Byun Nam Ma came to Silla in order to study acupuncture, and later became famous as an expert in the field back in Japan.

During the Geryeo Dynasty, acupuncture was part of the civil service examination. so all the students of Confucianism had to learn acupuncture from Nanjing or Neijing.

Acupuncture was most widely practiced during the Joseon Dynasty. Acupuncture treatment was inexpensive, easily portable, and sometimes even more effective than brewed medicine. For these reasons, acupuncture has been welcomed regardless of the times. It was an indispensable treatment for the peasants as well as high government officials. With these effort and interest, the mid-Joseon acupuncture blossomed with Heo Jun, followed by Heo Im. Heo Im, a noted official doctor and acupuncturist in the Seon Jo, Gwang Hae Gun and In Jo times, wrote Heo Im`s acupucture experience, the first acupuncture book in Korea. Heo Jun, who is from the same era, compiled Dong Eui Bo Gam, and included a Acupucture Theory. This wave continued onto the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty and gave rise to people like Lee Hyung Ik, who was famous for 번침술, and the hermit Saam, and led an indigenous new method of acupuncture.

Lee Kyung Seok (1595-1671), who wrote the epilogue for Heo Im's acupucture experience said: "The people of this land has fought illnesses with a treatment method called acupuncture from very early on. Thus, the phrases 'be treated with acupuncture, moxibustion' are very familiar to everyone. This includes a very wide range of people, from peasants to the king." We have great faith and common interest in acupuncture inside us today, largely due to mid-Joseon Dynasty's Heo Jun, Heo Im , and the hermit Saam.

As we are making headway into the 21st century, acupuncture is no longer just an Eastern medicine treatment; it is now an asset of the world. Today, acupuncture is making brilliant progress, with active research in meridian and the development of many different methods of acupuncture. And acupuncture treatment is also changing alongside these flows.

Acupuncture is friendly with the people, and it can be accessed relatively easily. However, because of these traits, it is sometimes abused as simply a trick without ground. Acupuncture must be developed with a deep understanding of human and its sicknesses and practiced with skilled techniques.