Acupuncture

Acupuncture is among the oldest alternative therapies in the world. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbal therapy, meditation, massage and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi.

Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. It is intended to remove blockages in the flow of qi and restore and maintain health. In the U.S., where practitioners incorporate healing traditions from China, Japan, Korea and other countries, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine.

The term acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a balanced state – disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. Qi can be unblocked, according to traditional Chinese medicine, by using acupuncture at certain points on the body that connect with these meridians. Sources vary on the number of meridians, with numbers ranging from 14 to 20. One commonly cited source describes meridians as 14 main channels "connecting the body in a web-like interconnecting matrix" of at least 2,000 acupuncture points.

(SOURCE: NCCAM, National Institutes of Health)