A treatment involves the insertion and manipulation of flexible, hair-thin needles at specific points along the body's meridian pathways, which are channels through which the body’s energy, or Qi, is thought to flow. Just as blood flows through veins and arteries throughout our body, Qi also flows through our bodies' meridians or channels. Every cell in our body is fed by nutrients from our blood as well as by energy or Qi that flows through these meridians or channels. These meridians cannot be seen, but do follow the contours of tendons and muscles in the body.
Acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) in an official report, Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, has listed the following symptoms, diseases and conditions to be effectively treated by Acupuncture:
Acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) in an official report, Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, has listed the following symptoms, diseases and conditions to be effectively treated by Acupuncture:
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Tennis elbow
- Knee pain
- Periarthritis of the shoulder
- Sprains
- Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
- Headache
- Dental pain
- Tempromandibular (TMJ) dysfunction
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Induction of labor
- Correction of malposition of fetus (breech presentation)
- Morning sickness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Postoperative pain
- Stroke
- Essential hypertension
- Primary hypotension
- Renal colic
- Leucopenia
- Adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy
- Allergic rhinitis, including hay fever
- Biliary colic
- Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
- acute bacillary dysentery
- Primary dysmenorrhea
- Acute epigastralgia
- Peptic ulcer
- Acute and chronic gastritis