Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that continues to grow in popularity in the Western world. It can be used for conditions ranging from tobacco addiction to helping in the relief of chronic pain using little more than needles. The fine needles are inserted into specific areas of the skin refered to as "acupuncture points". Acupuncture is generally classed as an Alternative Medicine but is only part of the overal historic Chinese approach to Medicine and therefore could hardly be classed as "Alternative" when so many people throughout the world rely upon it as their main medical treatment.!
The World Health Organization says acupuncture can be beneficial in many medical conditions ranging from neurological and gastrointestinal to mental and emotional ones. Acupuncture can also be used as a preventative treatment but is best used in conjunction with other treatments (especially Chinese Herbal treatments). Acupuncture's aim is to stimulate or sedate the flow of the ch'i (or vital energy) along energy meridians (pathways) of the patient thus helping to restore them to health.
