[Research on the development of acupuncture-moxibustion in Taiwan in 1970s]

The government has launched a program to promote the research on acupuncture and moxibustion since 1972. It was mainly through the join effort of the National Science Council and Department of health that funds were made available to major medical institutions in Taiwan for research in the theoretical and clinical application of acupuncture-moxibustion. Moreover, the emphasis has been laid on the application of modern medical knowledge and technology to traditional acupuncture-moxibustion in order to explore the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia and to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture-moxibustion in the treatment of diseases. The efforts of such studies have resulted in conferences and symposia at the national and/or international levels from 1970s to 1980s. Development and progress of acupuncture-moxibustion research in Taiwan since 1970s are reported and discussed in the article.