Several Big Leaps in the Development of Acupuncture Science

A review of the development of acupuncture science in the last 100 years shows that scientific and technological innovation and advance ran through the development.The innovation and the application of several key techniques during the process played a huge role in promoting the development of acupuncture science.Stainless steel needles broadened the clinical application of acupuncture.Electroacupuncture devices improved the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture.Acupuncture was increasingly internationalized.Acupuncture standardization was continually intensified.Multi-level acupuncture researches were carried out.The mechanism of therapeutic action of acupuncture was explored multidisciplinarily.A series of new achievements and techniques in natural science were used by acupuncture science,which greatly raised the level of acupuncture treatment and increased the knowledge of the mechanism of acupuncture action and the knowledge of meridians and acupoints.It is shown that science and technology promoted the leap-forward development of acupuncture but meanwhile,modern science and technology made a multi-aspect impact on conventional acupuncture.How to maintain the tradition and innovative development is another option that confronts us.