According to traditional Chinese medicine, energy courses through the body along invisible lines called meridians. For more than 5,000 years, acupuncture—a medical treatment using very thin needles that are inserted through the skin—has been used to stimulate those meridians.

How can acupuncture help people feel better?
Traditional Chinese theory suggests that acupuncture works by unblocking the body's flow of vital energy and restoring the balance of opposing forces. Western scientists believe that the needle treatment stimulates the body's production of natural painkillers.

Classical Chinese texts describe 365 acupuncture points along the meridians, though modern practitioners tally the total number of points at more than 1,000. Each acupuncture point produces a particular effect when stimulated by a hair-thin needle that painlessly pokes the skin.

Originally, acupuncture needles were made of gold, silver, slivered bone, or animal horn. Today, doctors use disposable stainless steel needles. The number of needles used ranges from 5 to 15 per treatment. On the fingers, the needle tip barely jabs the surface; in fleshier spots, the needle may be inserted to a depth of a few inches. The patient feels only a mild tingling, indicating that the needle is in the right place. Sometimes the acupuncturist twirls the needle or runs a weak electrical current through it.

In Chinese theory, acupuncture can improve almost any medical condition. Scientific studies suggest the treatment effectively addresses a wide variety of medical problems. In the United States it has been used mainly to conquer the pain of headaches, back aches, and arthritis. In addition, some studies suggest that acupuncture can ease addictions to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Early studies suggest acupuncture may also reduce nausea, promote recovery after stroke, and improve breathing in asthma sufferers.

Credits: Ear © Donna Day/Getty Images.

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