“TCM acupuncture and moxibustion” are the knowledge system and practical skills of Chinese nation to understand the nature and the universe, accumulated in thousands of years. Skills are particularly prominent in “TCM acupuncture and moxibustion”, including filiform needle insertion, moxibustion, cupping, scraping, bloodletting, and fire needling. These skills have been passed down from generation to generation and have gone through the course of development and change.
Even for acupuncture with filiform needles, a various of treatment systems has been evolved such as head acupuncture, ear acupuncture, eye acupuncture, wrist-ankle acupuncture, abdomen acupuncture, Fu’s subcutaneous needling, and triangle-edged needling. Such a wide variety of therapies indicate the prosperity and advancement of contemporary acupuncture and moxibustion medicine.
Acupuncture and moxibustion have been applied in 183 countries and regions around the world for treating more than 500 diseases of internal and surgical medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, etc. They have been recognized and valued by the international medical circle, e.g. the World Health Organization. Based on modern science and technology, the research on effect mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion has been exploring the mystery of vital movements of human beings, which promotes the development of modern life science.
In 1951, the Laboratory of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy, the Ministry of Health was established in Bejing, which was the predecessor of the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS). Since then, acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine has entered the fast development era in China.
Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (IAM), China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), established in 1951 and affiliated to State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), is a comprehensive research organization of scientific research, education and medical health care.
IAM has set up Acupuncture and Moxibustion Hospital, China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center and eight Research Departments (or Center). It has one key research center of SATCM, three tertiary laboratories and one key laboratory and holds the key discipline of acupuncture and moxibustion included in the 10th Five-Year Plan, 11th Five-Year Plan and 12th Five-Year Plan of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. IAM supports professional committees of China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, such as Discipline and Academic Working Committee, Science Popularization Professional Committee, Meridian Branch, Literature Professional Committee and Bian-Stone and Gua Sha-Scraping Committee.
During 64 years, IAM has made great contributions to the development of traditional Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion and reached a special position in developing the history of acupuncture and moxibustion.
In addition, the institute has built friendly relations with many countries. More than 4000 foreign guests have visited the institute and hundreds of experts of the institute have been to nearly 30 countries to lecture, interview and treat diseases.
China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center（CBIATC）, formerly “International Acupuncture Class”, was established in 1975 at the suggestion of some international organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) etc., with agreement of the State Council and approval of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Economics and Trade. Under the leadership of Chinese government, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), it has developed into an authoritative organization of acupuncture training that is well known in the world in past 30 years.
