If this photo surprises you, that's very understandable. Acupuncture was created 4,000 years ago during the stone age in China, a time where all medical devices were made from stone. The Chinese used stone for massage, scraping techniques, bloodletting and incising. Eventually, needles were created from stone and were called bian needles.
About 1,000 years later, needles were made from bronze, and eventually silver, gold and iron. Eventually different sizes and shapes were created and for many years nine different types of needles were used.
Photo credit: https://nordicacupuncture.com/en/needle-history
Today, needles are stainless steel and are intended to be used only once and then disposed of in medical waste. They come in over 20 sizes with varying widths and lengths.
The history of acupuncture needles is quite interesting! Let me know if you'd like to learn more about the history of acupuncture. It's quite the roller coaster journey.
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