Description of acupuncture

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting a acupuncture needle or needles into certain

points in the body for therapeutic purposes. Needles used for acupuncture

in the United States are most commonly made of sterilized stainless steel

and designed for single use. The needles may be stimulated further after

insertion by manual movement, heat, or electricity.

Acupuncture originated in ancient China, where it was believed that all

illness could be traced to the imbalance of an animating energy flow

known as Qi (pronounced ''chi'') that ran in meridians (or channels) within

the body. According to acupuncture theory, the insertion of needles in

discrete locations or acupuncture points along these meridians in various

combinations and patterns results in the restoration of orderly energy flow

and a subsequent return to health [1]. The World Health Organization

standard acupuncture nomenclature recognizes 20 meridians and approximately

400 acupuncture points [2]. Only recently has acupuncture been

studied rigorously enough to draw scientific conclusions about its efficacy

or lack thereof.

History of acupuncture

The first comprehensive reference to acupuncture as a medical treatment

is found in an ancient Chinese medical textbook dating approximately to the

first century

BC. It is very likely, however, that acupuncture existed for a considerable

time before this textbook. A practice highly reminiscent of acupuncture

that used red-hot irons rather than needles to cauterize the skin

was known to the pre-Islamic Arabs and ancient Egyptians [3].

European missionaries who observed the therapy and its apparently

miraculous effects transmitted the first reports of acupuncture to the West

300 years ago. A period of practice and experimentation ensued in Europe

before the practice gradually declined. During the past 30 years, there has

been resurgence in popularity of the technique. Currently, acupuncture is

practiced widely in the United States by increasing numbers of physicians,

dentists, veterinarians, and lay acupuncturists. It is available in all states,

and its use by the public is growing [4]. As new research and more sophisticated

models of the physiology of pain and disease make the principles

behind its effectiveness more comprehensible, its use is likely to increase.

acupuncture