Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese healing art, can be dated back over 4000 years, although the practice was introduced to the west relatively recently. The word acupuncture originates from the Latin word acus, meaning needle, and pungere, meaning puncture. It describes the process of inserting very fine needles, (sometimes in conjunction with electrical stimulus), on the body's surface, in order to influence physiological functioning of the body.

The first record of Acupuncture is found in the 4,700 year old classic Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Use of Internal Medicine). This is said to be written by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine, and it is probably the oldest medical textbook in the world. In this classic Shen Nung documented theories about circulation, pulse, and the heart, over 4,000 years before European medicine had any concept about them.

As the basis of Acupuncture, Shen Nung theorized that the body had an energy force running throughout it. This energy force is known as Qi (roughly pronounced Chee). Qi travels through the body in €meridians€ or channels. These meridians run vertically up and down the body's surface. A person's health is influenced by the flow of Qi in the body, in combination with the universal forces of Yin and Yang. €Yin is signified by female attributes, passive, dark, cold, moist, that which moves medially€¦ Yang is signified by male attributes, light, active, warm, dry, that which moves laterally€¦€. If the Qi in a person's body is not in balance with the Yin and Yang, a person becomes ill. Acupuncture places fine needles at the meridian (or acupuncture point) to help balance the Qi and cure the illness.
Acupuncturists can use as many as nine types of Acupuncture needles, with varying length, width of shaft, and shape of head. Today, most needles are disposable. They are used once and discarded in accordance with medical biohazard regulations and guidlines. There are a few different ways to insert the needles, with different insertion depth and angle relative to the skin surface. In most cases, a numbing or swelling sensation felt by the patient is desired. This sensation, which is not pain, is called deqi (pronounced dah-chee). The following techniques are commonly used by an Acupuncturist to achieve deqi after the needle is inserted: Raising and Thrusting, Twirling or Rotation, Combination of Raising/Thrusting and Rotation, Plucking, Scraping (vibrations sent through the needle), and Trembling (another vibration technique). Once again, techniques are carefully chosen based on the ailment.

Cupping is one special technique often used in complementary to the acupuncture. This is a method of stimulating meridian (or acupuncture point) by applying suction through a metal, wood or glass jar, in which a partial vacuum has been created. This technique influences the blood flow at the site, and therefore stimulates it. Cupping is used for low backache, sprains, soft tissue injuries, and helping relieve fluid from the lungs in chronic bronchitis.
Acupuncture today enjoys growing popularity nowadays. This popularity grows out of an increasing appreciation of the eastern culture in the western world, and of the holistic view of human health. Fighting illness with prescription drugs and surgical operations has their limitations in that they often neglect the underlining health factors that lead to the illness. On the other hand, acupuncture focuses on the balance of Chi and an overall healthy condition of body. Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of ailments. Arthritis, allergies, stomach pain, back pain, and neck pain are very commonly treated. Acupuncture has also shown effects in treating emotional and psychological disorders.
A fundamental understanding of exactly how acupuncture works is still lacking, not surprising given the full complexity of functional human body. Several important effects, however, are likely to contribute to the effectiveness of acupuncture.

1. By some unknown process, Acupuncture raises levels of triglycerides, specific hormones, prostaglandins, white blood counts, gamma globulins, opsonins, and overall anti-body levels. 2. Acupuncture can stimulate the secretions of endorphins in the body (specifically Enkaphalins). 3. Acupuncture can affect certain neurotransmitter levels (such as Seratonin and Noradrenaline) 4. Acupuncture has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels. 5. Acupuncture can influence the nervous system that regulates the perception of pain. In particular it can stimulate the small nerve fibers that carry the impulses of the pain.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most complex medical treatments that exist, which is based on ideas and theories formulated over thousands of years. Acupuncture has come a long way since its origins and has won an uphill battle against time, misunderstanding, and criticism to gain the popularity that it enjoys today. Improved practice and understanding of its scientific mechanism in the future can make acupuncture more effective in help maintain the health of human bodies.

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2. Acupuncture: Its Effect on the Nervous System

Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese healing art, can be dated back over 4000 years, although the practice was introduced to the west relatively recently. The word acupuncture originates from the Latin word acus, meaning needle, and pungere, meaning puncture. It describes the process of inserting very fine needles, (sometimes in conjunction with electrical stimulus), on the body's surface, in order to influence physiological functioning of the body. Acupuncture has been used to help treat a wide variety of illness, including pain, asthma, myopia, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke

The first record of Acupuncture is found in the 4,700 year old classic Huang Di Nei Jing by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine. As the basis of Acupuncture, Shen Nung theorized that the body had an energy force running throughout it. This energy force is known as Qi (roughly pronounced Chee). If the Qi in a person's body is not in balance, a person becomes ill. Acupuncture places fine needles at the acupuncture point to help balance the Qi and cure the illness.

The practice of acupuncture involves sticking very fine needles at different predetermined acupuncture spots: 365 points in a human body. These points have been uncovered over thousands of years but can not been seen through dissection or microscopy. It is believed that the insertion of needles at these points causes the Qi to move to the point. It is said that when a person is experiencing pain, that there is a blockage in the Qi in the body and that the acupuncture returns the flow to normal. Many of the acupuncture points are located only millimeters from peripheral nerves in the skin, and others are very close to arteries.
There is much data to support the use of acupuncture to help with pain and other illness, although the exact healing mechanism of acupuncture is not well understood. Some skeptical doctors believe that the power of suggestion is making the patient feel better. It is possible that placebo effect does contribute to the overall effectiveness of acupuncture. And some recent studies show that placebo, although it does not have active ingredients, can lead to physiological changes in brain activities. With the complex mind-body interaction, placebo can give amazing treatment results. Even if placebo effects is the main effect of acupuncture, we should fully harness its power to improve the mental and physical well being of the patients: it is much better than just more prescription drugs to combat pain and sickness. There is so much about the human brain that we do not understand. This understanding could lead to less over-medication of patients with chronic conditions.
There are many studies show that acupuncture can lead to different physiological changes in the body beyond the placebo effects. Obviously the acupuncture needles can stimulate different cells in th