Classical Chinese Medicine
The Acupuncture Program at the Swedish Institute is based on the traditions of Classical
Chinese Medicine (CCM). This approach is characterized by a focus on the historical
perspective of Chinese medicine, recognition of multiple styles of practice and the use of
more than 70 energetic pathways.
The Medical Classics
In order to understand the true virtues of acupuncture, we study its history in order to
understand the thought process behind current practices. The medical classics, primarily the
Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Internal Treatise) and the Nan Jing (Difficult Treatise) are
foundational texts from the period of the Warring States, circa 5th century B.C.E. These early
texts contain all of the theories of acupuncture and support all of the schools of thought. Most
acupuncture schools study these texts only at the post-graduate level.
Different Styles of Acupuncture
Most people who are familiar with acupuncture consider it part of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM). However, TCM is a relatively new style of acupuncture, created in the 1950s during the
advent of Communism.
At that time, China was faced with a population of a half a billion people and less than 40,000
Western-trained physicians and around 500,000 crudely trained traditional doctors. In an attempt
to quickly fill the people's need for medical help, Chairman Mao Ze-dong initiated the
establishment of medical schools that generalized and categorized acupuncture by identifying
attributes shared by all styles. Creating a uniform curriculum in acupuncture made it easier and
quicker to train practitioners in treating common ailments.
When Westerners became interested in acupuncture, they went to China to study and thus learned
TCM, the style being taught in government run medical schools. Our Acupuncture Program was
established to teach acupuncture based on Classical Chinese Medicine, knowledge of which became
largely unavailable in China after the Cultural Revolution.
Energetic Trajectories
While most people are familiar with the 12 Primary Meridians, the Secondary Channels are equally
important. Classical Chinese acupuncture recognizes and uses more than 70 energetic pathways,
which include:
- The Luo Vessels and their relevance to emotional, hematological and gastrointestinal issues.
- The Eight Extraordinary Vessels and their use with constitutional, reproductive and identity issues.
- The Divergent Meridians and their implication in the treatment of chronic diseases.
- The Sinew Channels and the tendinomuscular terrain.
While many schools acknowledge the existence of the secondary channels, most neither teach them
in-depth nor use them in practice. In addition to Eastern medical philosophy, our students learn
the paradigm of bioscience and receive comprehensive clinical experience. Self-cultivation, a key
to the understanding of classical acupuncture, is also built into the curriculum.
Meet the Dean for Academic Affairs
Jeffrey C. Yuen, Dean for Academic Affairs, is an 88th generation Taoist priest who created the
curriculum to reflect the rich, oral traditions that fully integrate physical, psychological and
spiritual aspects of healing. He has an unparalleled knowledge of this field and is an
internationally known lecturer. Visitors have an opportunity to hear him describe the unique
features of Classical Chinese Acupuncture at the program’s
Open House presentations.
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