Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating filiform needles into " acupuncture points " on the body with the aim of restoring health and well-being, e.g. treating pain .

The definition and characterization of these points is standardized by the World Health Organization. Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Different types of acupuncture (Japanese, Korean, and classical Chinese acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical procedure involving insertion and manipulation of needles at more than 360 points in the human body. Applied to relieve pain during surgery or in rheumatic conditions, and to treat many other illnesses, acupuncture is used today in most hospitals in China and by some private practitioners in Japan, Europe, and the United States.

In the UK, acupuncture is widely used in both private and National Health Service settings. In surveys of complementary medicine use, acupuncture is consistently cited amongst the most commonly used.1 Approximately 7% of the adult population in England have received acupuncture.2 Most acupuncture sessions are provided by specialist practitioners without other medical qualifications, of whom there are over 2,200 in the UK.3 In addition,
the British Medical Acupuncture Society has over 2,000 doctors as members who use acupuncture in hospital or general practice,4 and there are over 1,200 physiotherapists who are members of the Acupuncture Association of
Chartered Physiotherapists. More >>