Acupuncture is basically an ancient procedure or medical treatment wherein small and extremely thin needles (typically made of stainless steel) are injected into some specific points in the body so as to get rid of pain or to improve health.

It is believed that this treatment has been practiced in China from as early as 4,000 years ago. According to the acupuncture experts of China, the human body was said to consist of 14 meridians or channels, out of which 12 were bilateral and 2 were not, and through these meridians vital energy flows. Along these meridians there are 365 points where energy is concentrated. Now, the amount of these points has been increased to 800. The drawings that depict the exact positions of these points are available even today. With the assistance of these drawings, needles are inserted in the body at some specific points to cure a particular disease. For example, if a patient is suffering from an eye problem, then the needles will be inserted into his or her eye line. However, the needles do not go deep into the skin, and the process is quite painless. Often, a single treatment may last for just 10 minutes.

Of late, acupuncture has been accepted as a branch of alternative medicine in the West as well. Acupuncture is widely being practiced in countries like China, Japan and the USA. It has come out to be an effective treatment when it comes to relieving pain. There are a few doctors who even conduct surgeries with acupuncture being the only anaesthetic. Acupuncture has been used to treat conditions like malaria, stomach disorders, rheumatic pain and several other diseases.

Hitherto, the scientists have not been able to figure out how acupuncture actually works. But some of the scientists believe that the needles relieve the nerves that are causing a particular disease. It has also been witnessed that injecting a needle at one point of the body brings a specific reaction at another point. As stated by another outlook, acupuncture cures illness by correcting the imbalance of the body’s forces, that cause such illnesses.