Acupuncture has been practiced in China for thousand years. Its origin in China is uncertain. The Chinese medical book that first describes acupuncture is The Yellow Emperors ¡°Classic of Internal Medicine¡±, which was compiled around 305¨C204 B.C. However, acupuncture needles traced back to four thousand years ago have been found by archeologists in China. These needles were made from stone, bone, gold, silver, or bronze.

Acupuncture spread into other Asian countries in about A.D. 1000 and was introduced into Europe around A.D. 1700. At the turn of the 20th century, William Osler (1849-1919), a Canadian physician used acupuncture to treat low back pain. Dr. Osler concluded that acupuncture was the best treatment available to deal with this problem. Acupuncture received more attention in the United States in 1970s as a direct result of President Nixons trip to China. During the trip, a member of the mission was hospitalized and required an appendectomy. What made his surgery unique was that the patient was anesthetized with acupuncture as the only form of anesthesia. Impressed with what he had seen about the acupuncture, President Nixon helped organize a cultural exchange of medical practitioners between the United States and China.

Acupuncture stimulates anatomical points on the body through hair-thin metallic needles (sometimes in combination with electrical stimulus or with heat). The definition and characterization of these points are standardized by the World Health Organization in 1993. According to acupunctural theories, acupuncture restores health and well-being, and is especially effectual in treating pain and curing chronic disorders. In a recent NIH Consensus Statement, acupuncture is described to be an effective complement to the standard care of postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.

Basic acupuncture concepts lie on the meridian and Qi theories of TCM. There are twelve main meridians or energy channels that relate to internal organs in a human body. Qi (vital energy) and blood circulate in the body through the meridians to nourish and protect organs. Qi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in ¡°life force¡± or ¡°spiritual energy¡±. Symptoms of illnesses are believed to be the product of disrupted, blocked, or unbalanced qi movements (interrupted flow) through the bodys meridians, as well as deficiency or imbalance of qi (homeostatic imbalance) in organs. By stimulating certain points of the body surface reached through needling or moxibustion, the flow of qi and blood can be regulated and diseases are thus treated. The stimulation points are called acupuncture points, or acupoints.

Treatment of acupuncture points are performed along the twelve main and two extra meridians, located throughout the body. Along these meridians more than three hundred acupoints are identified and each has its own therapeutic action. For example, Hui-meeting points are a group of points that have a "special effect" on certain tissues and organs; Xi-cleft points are the points on the energy channel where qi and blood gather and plunge deeper. Detailed information about acupoints locations and functions can be found at WHO website.

In acupuncture clinics, a practitioner first selects appropriate acupoints along different meridians based on health problems. Then very fine and thin needles are inserted into these acupoints. Modern acupuncturists use disposable stainless steel needles of fine diameter, sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. The size and type of needles used and the depth of insertion depend on the acupuncture style being practiced. If the point is correctly located and the required depth is achieved, the patient usually experiences a feeling of soreness, heaviness, numbness, swellness, distention maybe little pain.

The acupuncture needles are left in for approximate 15 to 30 minutes. Some practitioners insert needles, turn them either left or right or both. Needle manipulations are involved with lifting, thrusting, twisting and rotating, depending on what practitioners are attempting to achieve. In certain instances, needles are warmed or electrically charged after insertion. The electrical acupuncture can be used with needles or through the use of a non-penetrating probe. During electro-acupuncture, electrical frequencies and voltages can be manipulated to achieve a better effect.

The effectiveness of an acupuncture treatment strongly depends on an accurate TCM diagnosis. The practitioners understanding with TCM, practical needling experience, and skills also influence the effectiveness greatly. It is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner. During your visit, the practitioner may ask you in detail about your health condition, lifestyle, and behaviors. The practitioner needs to understand behaviors that may contribute to your condition and obtain a complete picture of your treatment needs.

In the West, patients often turn to acupuncture as the alternative or last option for their long-term chronic problems. Hence the acupuncture effectiveness for illness may not be as good as that in Asia. More clinical researches have demonstrated the efficiency of acupuncture. Its benefits have gradually been recognized in the West.