When people think of acupuncture, they tend to associate it to an age-old tradition handed down largely unchanged, from generation to generation. While acupuncture’s deep roots in tradition can’t be neglected, the mental image that emerges from such assumption actually strays pretty far from reality: acupuncture is constantly evolving.
One of the primary examples of this evolution is the tool most associated to the practice; even now, pioneering companies are making improvements to the types of acupuncture needles widely available on the market, always pushing to make them more resilient, less painful, and sharper. Another popular misconception is to think of the evolution of acupuncture as having occurred completely independently from Western medicine; in fact, even traditional Chinese medicine integrates principles of fabrication and ideas of the body into its philosophy. Rather than a competitor to Western medicine, acupuncture can be thought of as a natural complement. Recent improvements in acupuncture include the development of a host of new techniques, ranging from cosmetic acupuncture (or aculifting) to electroacupuncture, which involves the use of stimulators.