Marmapuncture, also known as Ayurvedic Acupuncture, is an ancient therapeutic intervention that has been used to treat the energetic body through a complex network of channels called srotas.
It is traditionally known as Bhedan karma, which means the action of piercing through. Despite the widely held belief that Marmapuncture is derived from Chinese Acupuncture, modern archaeological evidence shows that Suchi Bhaden, Shira Bhedan, and Bhadhan Karma were practiced in Sri Lanka well before the time of the Yellow Emperor’s writings in 200-400 BC.
The Balangoda region of Sri Lanka is home to discoveries made in caves that suggest continuous habitation for over 37,000 years. Microlithic tools were crafted from flint, fish bones, and a type of rock known as Chert. These were used to penetrate the skin, which affected a therapeutic response in the body.
Ancient Sri Lankan manuscripts predate the Chinese texts mentioned above by 500 years. These manuscripts depict meridians mapped on the body as well as ‘acupoints’ on the body of an elephant showing how it can be successfully trained using a probe at these locations.
According to Prof Dr Anton Jayasuriya, instruments for acupuncture anesthesia used 2,400 years ago still exist. They were in use for the surgery carried out at King Pandukabhaya hospital in 500 BC. Trade along the spice route preceded the Chinese Silk route by some 4,000 years. For instance, it is a well-established fact that peppercorns from Sri Lanka were placed in the nostrils of Egyptian mummies to preserve them. Knowledge gleaned from this contact found its way to the Ebers papyrus, which shows clearly delineated meridians that are available to see in the British museum.
Ancient Indian texts dating back 3,000 years discuss ‘Suchi Veda’, translating to the art of piercing with a needle. At Taxila university, in India circa. 100 BC, marmapuncture was taught to the students as part of their curriculum. Subsequently, Buddhist missionary work and trade spread the knowledge throughout China and South East Asia.
The whole universe is said to be pervaded by the cosmic force of pranic currents, which is the prime mover of all activities. Health is determined by the correct flow of energy along these passages alongside efficient removal of waste products. Needles are used to stimulate or subdue subtle currents in the body to maintain and restore balance.
According to Shushruta, the father of surgery in Ayurveda, a marma point is an anatomical site where muscle, veins, fascia, ligaments, bones, and joints meet. He described these areas as having a very high concentration of vital energy. Shustruta listed 107 of these points and used them extensively in surgery. Charaka delineated important points in the body known as maha marmas and used these areas in the treatment of both animals and people.
In the Asthanga Hridyam, Vagbhata informs us that these points are the seats of life where important nerves known as dhamani come together along with other structures like muscles and tendons. He advises us that those sites which are tender or painful in the body should also be considered as marma or vital points. This consideration parallels the Chinese concept of Ashi points, which are tender points that can arise all over the body due to a malfunction of energy in the area of concern.
Finally, marmas are vital areas where some of them, when injured, can cause death. Additional marmas when injured, although not life-threatening, can lead to significant morbidity.