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Well over 2,000 years ago, the Chinese began mapping out the energetic pathways (meridians) on the body. On these pathways they marked specific points along each of the pathways (there are hundreds of them). Many of the meridians are associated with different organs and body functions. The different points along the meridians affect the energy in different ways. For example, some points can drain excess, while other points tonify, or sedate, or stimulate, etc.
Oriental medical theory is generally based on the dichotomy of opposites more commonly known as the yin/yang theory (hot/cold, excess/deficiency, up/down, internal/external to name a few). It involves the evaluation of the energy in a person’s body, in the food he/she is eating, and in his/her environment. These factors are integrated together to determine how it is affecting the individual’s overall health (or specific condition). Acupuncture involves the manipulation of the body's life-force energy (Qi). A healthy person maintains a harmonious balance in the circulation of qi. It is believed that when this balance is offset (too much here, not enough there, flowing in the wrong direction, etc.) illness ensues, or at times the energy can stagnate (get stuck somewhere) - causing pain. For example, some people could develop a pattern of excess in certain aspects of their energy which could be stemming from environmental influences, food they are eating, organ dysfunctions, and/or excess physical or mental activities. Depending on the individual, this could affect their qi causing possible symptoms like tiredness, pain, sleep disorders, irritability, indigestion, headaches, or any number of problems (it's different for everyone). This can be treated by finding a method of manipulating the qi (energy) to restore balance (like reducing the excess in the above example). This can be done by using acupuncture, herbs, tui na (Chinese massage/bodywork), and qi gong, as well as dietary/nutritional counseling.
Acupuncture is a way of manipulating the qi by inserting very thin needles into specific points on the body in order to achieve the desired (therapeutic) effect. How well this works is highly dependent on the ability of the practitioner to make the proper diagnosis, to use an effective technique, as well as to choose the right combination of points to correct the problem and restore balance.
Although some symptoms may seem mild, if the cause of the problem is not addressed or corrected, it could eventually become chronic and more serious. This can lead to the development of other problems/symptoms. Thus it is usually best (and most effective) when treated in the mild stage before it starts to get really serious. If it already is chronic, it is likely to take longer (with more treatments) to restore balance.
Acupuncture alone can be very effective in treating many health problems. It is known to be therapeutic when used as preventive medicine, for sports enhancement, and to facilitate faster healing of sports/work related injuries (it is used often in martial arts). In many ways, it can be very useful in combination with other forms of medicine (complimentary). Also, other modes of alternative medicine (herbs, tui na, dietary/nutritional counseling, qi gong) have been shown to dramatically increase the effectiveness of acupuncture.
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