Acupuncture is a system of diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis is based on a comprehensive Chinese theory of energy balance. The treatment involves insertion of small solid needles into precise anatomical sites in the body to produce therapeutic effects.
Acupuncture improves the body’s functions and promotes the natural self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic sites-commonly referred to as acupuncture points, or acupoints. The most common method used to stimulate acupoints is the insertion of fine, sterile needles into the skin. Pressure, or electrical stimulation may further enhance the effects. Hundreds of clinical studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it successfully treats conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems (back pain, neck pain, and others) to nausea, migraine headache, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infertility).