IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2017 - 21

COMMENTARY

Tian Shen

Technology
Developments in
Acupuncture and
Moxibustion Treatment

he science of acu-
puncture and mo -
xibustion is an
important compo-
nent of traditional
Chinese medicine used in the pre-
vention and treatment of disease.
This therapy includes two aspects.
Acupuncture is a procedure by
which diseases can be prevented
and treated through proper inser-
tion of needles into points accompa-
nied by different manipulations such
as lifting and thrusting, and twirling
and rotating. Commonly used are
the filiform needle, dermal needle,
intradermal needle, and three-
edged needle, among which the fili-
form needle is the most widely used.
Moxibustion treats and prevents
diseases by applying heat to points
or certain locations of the human
body. The material used is mainly
"moxa-wool" in the form of a cone
or stick. For centuries, moxibustion
and acupuncture have been com-
bined in Chinese clinical practice.

T

History of Acupuncture and
Moxibustion Technology
ISTOCK

In the ancient literature there were
many legends about the origin of
acupuncture and moxibustion such
as Fu Xi's creation of the therapeu-
tic techniques with stone needles,
and Huang Di's invention of acu-
puncture and moxibustion [1]. In
the classics of two thousand years
ago, it was frequently cited that the
acupuncture instrument was made
of stone and was named bian stone.

Over time, the acupuncture instru-
ment was gradually developed from
a bronze needle, iron needle, gold
needle, silver needle, and more re-
cently stainless steel needles have
been introduced. According to the
records of Internal Classics, "The
treatment with bian stone needle
was originated in the east coast of
China where the inhabitants lived on

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2017.2763443
Date of publication: 5 December 2017

DECEMBER 2017

∕

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

fishing, and moxibustion was orig-
inated in the north where the people
subsisted on animal husbandry. Liv-
ing in camps and subsisting on milk,
they easily suffered from abdominal
pain and distension by cold, suitable
to be treated by heat. Through long-
term accumulation of experience,
moxibustion therapy and hot com-
pression were created."

21



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