Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Health Preservation
Chinese people have long used acupuncture and moxibustion for health preservation. In the "Huangdi Neijing," doctors who mastered acupunctural health techniques were called "superior physicians." As stated in "Ling Shu: Reverse and Smoothness": "The superior physician treats conditions before they arise." By the Tang Dynasty, acupuncture and moxibustion had already occupied a significant place in health care; for example, the "Qianjin Yaofang" discussed numerous materials related to acupunctural health preservation. In the Song Dynasty, Wang Zhizhong's "Zisheng Jing" recorded using acupuncture to prevent various diseases, such as needling to relieve wind gate points to prevent carbuncles and abscesses. During the Ming Dynasty, physicians also advocated acupuncture for health preservation. Gao Wu, in "Zhenjiu Juying," said: "To needle without illness is to act against nature—anticipating illness before it occurs." Here, "against nature" means prevention. In the Qing Dynasty, Pan Weiru elaborated on the health-preserving effects of acupuncture in his book "Weisheng Yaqiu," stating: "The body's zang-fu organs, meridians, blood, qi, and muscles are daily vulnerable to external pathogens. Ancient people regarded acupuncture and moxibustion as fundamental... thus benefiting joints and harmonizing blood and qi, enabling rapid elimination of pathogenic factors. Once the pathogen departs, the righteous qi naturally recovers, and with recovery of righteous qi, illness naturally resolves."Acupuncture health preservation refers to stimulating specific acupoints with fine needles to activate meridian qi, thereby enhancing metabolism and achieving the goals of strengthening the body and prolonging life. This method, known as acupuncture health preservation, shares basic techniques with acupuncture therapy but differs in focus: while acupuncture therapy aims to correct imbalances in yin-yang and qi-blood, acupuncture health preservation focuses on strengthening the body and enhancing metabolic capacity to promote longevity. Due to this difference in focus, there are certain distinctions in point selection and needle manipulation. For health preservation, moderate stimulation intensity is recommended, fewer points should be selected, and primarily points with tonifying effects should be chosen.Health-preserving moxibustion is one of China’s unique health preservation methods, not only useful for strengthening the body but also beneficial for rehabilitation in those with chronic weakness. Health-preserving moxibustion involves applying moxa to specific acupoints on the body to harmonize qi and blood, regulate meridians, nourish zang-fu organs, and extend lifespan. As stated in "Yixue Rumen": "When medicine cannot reach and acupuncture cannot penetrate, moxibustion must be applied"—indicating that moxibustion can achieve effects unattainable by either medicine or acupuncture. The health-preserving role of moxibustion was clearly documented as early as in "Bian Que Xinshu": "Even when healthy, regularly moxibusting Guanyuan, Qihai, and Mingmen points will not grant immortality, but may still lead to a lifespan exceeding a hundred years."