The Challenges and Solutions of Acupuncture Education in the Context of New Medicine: A Case Study of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Abstract

Background:

Considering the emerging educational paradigm, there is a pressing need for reform in acupuncture education.

Methods:

We uses the acupuncture education at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine as a case to delineate the challenges encountered in current theoretical and practical teaching of acupuncture and proposes viable solutions.

Results:

In theoretical teaching, there should be an emphasis on classical theories integrated with modern scientific theories to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the classical theories. As for practical training, endeavors should be made to enhance clinical application and leverage virtual reality technology to optimize training outcomes.

Conclusions:

Through cross-disciplinary knowledge integration and the utilization of modern technology, there exists a positive significance for both the inheritance and innovative development of acupuncture, as well as for acupuncture education and talent cultivation.

INTRODUCTION

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is not only a repository of ancient Chinese scientific knowledge but also serves as a gateway to the wealth of Chinese civilization. Acupuncture, as an integral part of TCM, represents a shining gem within this treasure trove. Over millennia, acupuncture has seamlessly integrated elements from both ancient and modern times by bridging the gap between China and the global community while harmonizing humanities with science. Today, it has evolved into a discipline with its own theoretical system and unique therapeutic techniques.

“New Medicine” education represents an educational paradigm emphasizing the distinctive features and advantages of modern medical talent development. It advocates multidisciplinary integration as the core approach, explores diverse pedagogical methods, and serves as a primary driver for innovative advancements in medical education.¹

The College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine was established in 1982 with a focus on nurturing proficient professionals in the field of acupuncture. In response to evolving educational paradigms, we have devised an instructional model that accentuates classical study, early clinical practice, and practical reinforcement. This article will primarily delve into the distinctive attributes of our acupuncture education from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

THE CHALLENGE IN ACUPUNCTURE EDUCATION

Acupuncture education includes theoretical education and practical education, which is the core content of acupuncture education. The content of acupuncture theoretical education involves meridians theory and acupoint theory, which are the basis of acupuncture. The practical education of acupuncture includes the location of acupoints, acupuncture methods, and other contents, which are the skill of acupuncture. Theory has the function of guiding practice, and practice is the concrete application of theory. The two go hand in hand. However, at present, these two aspects of acupuncture education are facing difficulties. If they are not solved, it will seriously affect the effect of acupuncture education.

The Challenge Faced in the Acupuncture Theoretical Education

The classical theory of acupuncture holds significant ideological and guiding importance in acupuncture education. It serves as the cornerstone for students to grasp TCM theory and shapes their Chinese medicine thinking. Moreover, it offers valuable guidance for clinical practice. However, due to its fewer words and profound academic connotations, understanding these theories can be challenging for students.

It is worth noting that the prominence of this phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the realm of international acupuncture education, owing to the fact that its foundational principles stem from traditional Chinese culture. Consequently, learners from non-Chinese cultural backgrounds may encounter greater difficulty in grasping these concepts.

The Challenge Faced in the Acupuncture Practical Education

Practical training in acupuncture plays a crucial role in nurturing skilled acupuncturists, serving as the vital link between theoretical knowledge and clinical application. However, the development of practical skills among acupuncture students has been a weak point in acupuncture education. Traditionally, practical teaching followed theoretical instruction by teachers, with demonstrations of acupoint location and needling techniques on students’ bodies preceding hands-on practice. While this approach closely mirrors clinical practice, it is not without its limitations.

For instance, the anatomical structure of acupoints constitutes a crucial aspect of acupuncture education, serving as the foundation for understanding acupoint location, function, and manipulation techniques. In traditional pedagogy, instructors typically rely on anatomical illustrations and videos to depict the two-dimensional configuration of acupoints. This approach hinders students from developing a tangible grasp of acupoint structure, thereby impeding their comprehension and retention of acupoint knowledge. In particular, for the commonly utilized high-risk acupuncture points in clinical practice, the imprecise localization of anatomical structures surrounding these points presents challenges for students in accurately determining the depth and direction of needle insertion, thereby potentially compromising safety.

Moreover, practical instruction necessitates dedicated teaching facilities and is constrained by limited instructional hours. Furthermore, certain students may decline to practice acupuncture on human subjects for personal reasons. We also need to consider special circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, when international education had to shift to online teaching. These circumstances have resulted in numerous students failing to fully comprehend the fundamental principles of acupuncture techniques during class, significantly impacting the efficacy of instruction.

IMPROVEMENT AND EXPLORATION OF ACUPUNCTURE EDUCATION

We have improved and explored the difficulties in theoretical and practical education of acupuncture. In theoretical education, we integrate a large amount of modern medical knowledge and combine a variety of teaching methods such as case, discussion, and question to guide students to think and help them understand these theories. In practical education, we have applied a variety of modern educational technologies, especially virtual reality (VR) technology, which not only improves students’ learning interest but also improves learning efficiency. The following are relevant examples about the improvement of theoretical and practical education of acupuncture.

Use Modern Scientific Theories to Enhance Students’ Comprehension of Traditional Acupuncture Theories

Therefore, in theoretical teaching, it is essential not only to interpret the theories from the perspective of TCM but also to elucidate them in conjunction with the modern scientific system so that students can gain a precise understanding of the classical theory of acupuncture.²

For instance, the “Four Important Acupoints Mnemonics” propose the theory that “Weizhong (BL40) is the primary choice for back and waist ailments,” which succinctly encapsulates its efficacy in treating back and waist pain and has been highly esteemed by both ancient and contemporary practitioners of acupuncture. In teaching, we analyze the anatomical structure features of the BL40 acupoint located at the popliteal fossa by comparing its meridian and tendons with the corresponding muscles on the posterior aspect of the human body to help students deeply understand the theory that aims to elucidate the unique functional interconnection between the popliteal fossa and the lumbar and sacral region. Meanwhile, BL40 Point is situated at the center of the popliteal crease, between the biceps femoris tendon and the semitendinosus tendon, with the deep inner aspect adjacent to the popliteal vein. The deepest layer encompasses the popliteal artery. Due to its close proximity to the underlying popliteal artery and vein, BL40 Point is susceptible to congestion and compromised blood circulation, thereby contributing to varicose veins. Thus, in the treatment of back and waist diseases, it is essential not only to consider local interventions for the affected areas but also to emphasize the stimulation of the popliteal fossa. The application of cupping therapy in the popliteal fossa can effectively address stasis resulting from alterations in knee joint mechanics, alleviate localized symptoms, and further optimize trunk structural mechanics.

Use VR Technology to Strengthen Students’ Practical Ability of Acupuncture

VR creates a realistic, multisensory, and immersive interactive virtual environment that encompasses a specific range.³ In order to better understand teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward VR, we conducted a questionnaire. As shown in Figure 1, students thought that VR was very useful for them to memorize, understand, and train acupuncture knowledge. Some teachers thought that VR not only mitigates safety risks in practical teaching but also overcomes spatial and temporal constraints. This enables students to engage in independent training after class. As a result, the interest and efficiency of acupuncture practical teaching are enhanced.

FIG. 1.

Results of the questionnaire for VR application. The results show that VR is very useful for students to memorize, understand, and train acupuncture knowledge. VR, virtual reality.

For instance, in the instruction of perilous acupoints, we have incorporated VR instruction alongside conventional teaching. Initially, the teacher wears VR apparatus, and the VR viewpoint is projected onto a large screen to facilitate students’ comprehension of the correlation between the superficial location of acupoints and their anatomical structures. This serves to enhance their understanding of the association between surface location and microscopic anatomical structures beneath the epidermis. Subsequently, the teacher employs VR technology to illustrate the precise technique of needle insertion at acupoints and explains potential tissue damage resulting from improper needle placement. The objective is to deepen students’ understanding of high-risk acupoints in clinical practice by elucidating their anatomical location, layers, and needling methods while emphasizing that students understand how needling techniques for these critical acupoints correlate with adjacent anatomical structures to ensure accurate needle depth and angle retention. Finally, students will engage in learning activities within a VR system that includes operation and assessment components. The system will automatically collect data throughout this process so that teachers can gain insights into students’ learning progress based on metrics such as mastery levels for specific knowledge points, learning duration, and evaluation results.^4,5 In total, 180 students used the VR system in 2023. We counted the duration students spent learning acupoints. As shown in Table 1, these are the top five acupoints for learning duration. Among them, the Fengchi (GB20) acupoint ranked in the first place. The longer the duration, the more difficult for students to learn. Through data analysis, students’ comprehension can be evaluated while identifying challenging areas with frequent errors. This enables timely adjustments in classroom instruction to enhance precision and improve educational quality.

Table 1.

The Top Five Acupoints of Learning Duration

Number	Acupoint name	Total learning duration (min)
1	Fengchi (GB20)	4522
2	Zhongfu (LU1)	3855
3	Zusanli (ST36)	2701
4	Quchi (LI11)	2404
5	Gongsun (SP4)	1855

THOUGHTS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF ACUPUNCTURE EDUCATION

We also face some difficulties in the improvement and exploration of acupuncture education. Take the theory of acupoints as an example, when we integrate normal human anatomy and other medical knowledge into the content of acupoint location, students often appear afraid of difficulties. Therefore, we need to further optimize the teaching content, taking into account the actual situation of students with different majors and different learning bases, so that different students have different educational content.

In addition, we found that the VR teaching model may not be suitable for direct application to students who have not yet constructed a framework of anatomical knowledge. Therefore, simply introducing VR into the classroom is not enough. VR technology should be rationally used according to different students’ knowledge reserves, so as to effectively help students understand the correlation between acupoint function and subacupoint anatomical structure and realize differentiated and precise teaching. This is what we need to solve in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we have conducted a comprehensive examination of the challenges encountered in both the theoretical and practical teaching of acupuncture and have subsequently put forward specific solutions.

On one hand, the implementation of a problem-oriented teaching design in theoretical teaching, integrated with contemporary knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and related fields, can facilitate profound critical thinking among students and reveal the modern scientific theories of classical theories they have studied.^6,7 This approach is conducive to enhancing students’ comprehension and clinical application of acupuncture classical theories.

On the other hand, based on the traditional practical teaching, we have harnessed VR technology to create a diverse and immersive learning milieu, encompassing lifelike digital visuals, vibrant colors, and distinct taxonomy, alongside robust human–computer interaction capabilities. This approach has empowered students to shift from passive reception to active exploration, leading to a substantial enhancement in efficiency and quality of the acupuncture practical teaching.⁸

In the new era, medical higher education is encountering novel circumstances. Through cross-disciplinary knowledge integration and the utilization of modern technology, there exists a positive significance for both the inheritance and innovative development of acupuncture, as well as for acupuncture education and talent cultivation. We aspire to share our teaching philosophy with more educators, and we are committed to further refining it in the future.

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS

A.X.: Drafted the article. Z.L.: Revised the article.

AUTHOR DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

FUNDING INFORMATION

This study was supported by the Education Research Project of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (no. XJY23022) and Double First-Class Discipline Construction Project of Beijing (no. JX-KXYR-2301008).