Acupuncture is one of the components of the health care system evolved in China at least 2,500 years ago. Acupuncture literally means needle piercing - the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (known as acupoints or acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes.

The general theory of acupuncture is based on the assumption that there are patterns of energy flow (Qi) through the body that are essential for health. The disturbances or disruptions in this flow are responsible for health diseases. Acupuncture, as theorized, is meant to correct the imbalances of flow at identifiable points close to the skin.

Acupuncture involves stimulating. Apart from the usual method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. The use of acupuncture to treat diseases in American medicine was quite rare until President Nixon visited China in 1972. This effectively opened the door from East to West, connecting America to the Orient. Acupuncture has since come out as a strong substitute or augmentation for contemporary medical treatment methods.

To really understand how acupuncture works, it is necessary to become familiar with the basics of Chinese philosophy that underlines the essence of the theory of acupuncture. The way it has gained popularity in the developing and developed countries in the past forty years, it may ultimately prove to be a very important vehicle for maintaining good health and well-being.