제5장 전통 침구의술의 활성화 방안에 대한 연구

A Study on Promotional Plans for Traditional Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy

침구의술의 필요성을 인식하는 사람들은 지난 반세기 동안 침구사제도를 활성화하기 위해 여러 분야에서 활동하고 있다. 그러나 해마다 많은 사람이 현행 의료법 위반으로 범법자가 되고 있어 심각한 사회적인 문제로 대두되고 있다. 사실상 침구사들이 행하는 침구의술이 우리 역사 속에서 질병을 치료하는 역할을 담당하였다는 사실은 기록을 통하여 유추할 수 있다. 이를테면 상고시대에 돌침(폄석)이 발견된 이래 끊임없이 진화되어 활용되었으며, 조선시대에 이르러서는 침구전문 의생이라는 독립 분과의 시초를 마련하여 전통의료의 한 축으로써 육성되어 왔다. 때문에 일제 강점기에도 침구의술은 침구사라는 독자적인 지위를 인정받았던 것이다. 하지만 1962년 국민의료법이 의료법으로 개정되는 과정에서 침구사법이 소멸됨으로써 침구사는 더 이상 배출되지 못하고 있는 실정이다. 그러나 이러한 상황에도 침구의술은 이어져왔으며, 오히려 시간이 갈수록 사회적 관심과 기반이 확대되었다. 이는 현대의학으로도 치료하기 어려운 병들이 원로 침구사와 그들에 의해 전수된 기술을 바탕으로 활동하는 민간요법사에 의해 치료되는 사례가 빈번하였기 때문이다. 그리고 중국이나 일본, 미국은 많은 침구대학을 두고 침구사를 양성하고 있으며, 침구사들은 전문직업의 하나로써 체계적이고 안정된 제도를 경험하고 있다. 따라서 우리는 탁월한 효과가 있는 침구의술을 연구·육성하여, 사회의료자원으로 활용하는 방안을 모색해야 할 것이다. 이에 대한 구체적인 방안은 한의학이나 대체의학의 범주에서 하나의 전문직업으로 침구사를 활용한다면, 환자들은 보다 나은 서비스와 안전한 환경에서 치료받을 수 있으며, 치료효과는 점차 이용자의 만족을 극대화하는 방향으로 정립될 것이다.

People who have been aware of the need for acupuncture and moxibustion therapy have been active in many fields in order to promote the acupuncture and moxibustion therapists system over the past half century; however, many people have become lawbreakers every year because of their violation of the medical service law, and this has arisen as a serious social issue. In fact, the fact that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy performed by such acupuncture and moxibustion therapists have played a role in Korean history for the treatment of diseases may be inferred through documents. For instance, stone acupuncture has been advanced and carried out to date since its discovery in ancient times. In particular, beginning in the Joseon period, an independent branch, namely the production of doctors specialized in acupuncture and moxibustion was first prepared, and acupuncture and moxibustion therapy has been cultivated as one of the foundations of traditional medicine. For that reason, even during the period under Japanese colonial rule, acupuncture and moxibustion therapists achieved recognition for their independent status; however, during the revision of the national medical service law to the medical service law in 1962, the law regarding acupuncture and moxibustion therapists disappeared. Since then, no more acupuncture and moxibustion therapists have been produced. However, despite this situation, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy has continued. Rather social attention on and the foundation for this therapy has been extended over time. This is because some symptoms that are not easily treated modern medicine have been healed frequently by senior acupuncture and moxibustion therapists and by private therapists who specialized in acupuncture and moxibustion therapy based on techniques which had been passed down by those senior therapists. Also, China, Japan, and the USA have established many acupuncture and moxibustion colleges, and have produced acupuncture and moxibustion therapists. Also, those acupuncture and moxibustion therapists have experienced a systematic and stable system as one of the professional occupations. Consequently, it is necessary for us to seek some solutions to utilize acupuncture and moxibustion therapy which is very effective in healing as social medical resources. As detailed plans for this, provided that we utilize acupuncture and moxibustion therapists as one of the professionals in the category of traditional Korean medicine or alternative medicine, patients will be able to receive better services and be treated in a safe environment. Also, the treatment effect will be established in the direction of maximizing users’ satisfaction gradually.