What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the careful insertion of very fine solid needles into specific points of the body to treat disease.

Acupuncture was developed and practiced in China over a period of 3000 years. In combination with Chinese bodywork and herbal therapy it was China’s primary health modality. Chinese physicians used acupuncture to treat everything from the common cold to lower back pain. The oldest manuscript detailing the theory and use of acupuncture is the Nei Jing. It was written by several different authors and published around 300 B.C. Even at that early date the Nei Jing presents a mature medical theory to guide the diagnosis of diseases and the prescriptions of acupuncture points.

In the 1970s acupuncture was made popular in the United States due to President Nixon’s increased diplomatic relations with China. Acupuncturists have been successfully treating disease in the United States for over 30 years as well as in China, proving that acupuncture’s effect is not simply a cultural phenomenon.

Today acupuncture is accepted by the medical community as helpful for relieving acute and chronic pain. Many studies also suggest that acupuncture is helpful for a whole range of other ailments including insomnia, digestive difficulties, impotence, PMS, and stress.