Acupuncture is a popular alternative medical treatment for pain. This is the insertion of fine metallic needles at strategic points in your body. Acupuncture was first used in China over 2,000 years ago. First, attracted attention in the United States in 1971 when the New York Times, James Reston wrote about how impressed I was with the postoperative pain relief was acupuncture.

    Chinese and Western theories about how acupuncture heals the human body are very different. According to TCM, everything in nature, including the human body has two opposing forces: yin and yang. The force is very passive Yin and Yang is very active force. There is also the idea that there is an energy flow, known as Qi, which flows through pathways known as meridians in the body. Each meridian corresponds to one or more organs. While the qi flows properly, there is a balance between yin and yang and his body will be healthy. If you stop the flow of Qi, this will cause an imbalance between yin and yang, which causes the disease. Qi is accessible through approximately 400 acupuncture points on the human body that are connected to the meridians. These acupuncture points are places near the surface of the skin. To restore the proper flow of Qi, an acupuncturist inserts thin needles, metal acupuncture points in various combinations.

    Western scientists have different explanations for how acupuncture heals the body. One theory suggests that during the acupuncture treatment, opioids are released in the central nervous system （brain and spinal cord）, which reduces pain. Acupuncture has also been found to stimulate the nerves of the spinal cord, causing neurotransmitter release, suppressing the pain. This theory was verified by brain imaging of a medical study that showed that acupuncture increases your pain threshold. Another theory is that acupuncture increases blood flow around the treated area. The increased blood flow and provide additional nutrients or remove toxic substances. Western scientists have also determined that acupuncture points are conductors of electromagnetic signals. These scientists believe that acupuncture stimulates these acupuncture points and the speed of electromagnetic signals. These signals will help send biochemical analgesics, such as endorphins, the body parts injured.

    According to a United States National Institute of Health （NIH） entitled "Acupuncture: NIH Consensus Statement," acupuncture is effective in treating various medical conditions. It was effective in relieving postoperative dental pain and adult postoperative and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It was also effective in treating tennis elbow, addiction, stroke, menstrual pain, osteoarthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. Study starting in 2006 the Mayo Clinic showed that acupuncture significantly relieves symptoms of fibromyalgia. The NIH report also indicated that the side effects of acupuncture are less harmful than medical drugs or surgery. Acupuncture is accepted by the mainstream as a legitimate medical treatment. A number of medical schools such as UCLA, have classes in acupuncture training in their curriculum. In 1995, the Food and Drug Administration classified acupuncture needles as medical instruments. Many American insurance companies offer full coverage of acupuncture treatment for certain medical conditions.

    針灸是一種很受大眾歡迎的止痛替代方法，這種方法是把細細的金屬針刺入你身體的某個特定穴位。2000多年前在中國首先開始使用針灸技術(shù)，1971年James Reston在紐約時報（the New York Times）上寫了一篇關(guān)于針灸如何緩解疼痛的文章，這還是針灸首次在美國引起注意。中醫(yī)與西醫(yī)關(guān)于針灸治病原理上解釋不盡相同，根據(jù)中國傳統(tǒng)醫(yī)學得知自然界的萬物都有兩股力量存在，即陰與陽，人體也不例外。陰的作用是被動的，陽是主動地。還有一種流動的能量稱之為氣，此氣沿著經(jīng)絡(luò)在體內(nèi)流動，每條經(jīng)脈與一至多個臟器相對應(yīng)，當氣順暢流動時陰與陽即保持平衡，身體處于健康狀態(tài)；如果氣流動受阻，就導(dǎo)致陰、陽失衡，引起疾病。可接受之氣與人體經(jīng)絡(luò)上大約400個穴位相通，針灸穴位位于皮膚表層，為了保障氣的順暢流動，針灸治療師會將細細的金屬針以各種不同的方式、方法刺入穴位。

    西方的科學家對于針灸如何治病的原理有不同的解釋，原理之一是：在針灸治療過程中，中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)（腦和脊髓）會釋放鴉片類物質(zhì)。針灸還可以刺激脊神經(jīng)引起神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)的釋放從而抑制疼痛，這原理被醫(yī)學影像學研究所證實，研究顯示針灸可以增加痛閾。另一個原理是：針灸可以促進治療區(qū)域的血液循環(huán)，使血流速度加快從而為人體提供更多的營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)、更快的帶走有毒的廢物。西方科學家還斷定針刺穴位點是感受電磁信號的傳導(dǎo)器，他們認為針刺可以刺激這些穴位而使電磁信號傳播速度加快，這些信號將有助于具有麻醉作用的生化物質(zhì)的運送，象內(nèi)啡肽，即人體損傷后釋放的一種物質(zhì)。

    根據(jù)美國國家健康機構(gòu)（NIH）授權(quán)"針灸學：國家健康機構(gòu)（NIH）一致同意，特此聲明。"針灸能有效的治療各種疾病。它能有效地緩解牙科手術(shù)后疼痛、成人手術(shù)后疼痛、由化療導(dǎo)致的惡心和嘔吐。它還能有效的治療網(wǎng)球肘、藥癮、中風、痛經(jīng)、骨關(guān)節(jié)炎、腰背痛、腕管綜合征和哮喘。美國梅育醫(yī)學院（Mayo Clinic）研究顯示針灸能非常有效的緩解肌纖維疼痛，這項研究始于2006年。美國國家健康機構(gòu)（NIH）也指出針灸的副作用與藥物和手術(shù)相比對人體傷害很小。針灸是法律上允許的醫(yī)療方法越來越被大眾所接受，一系列醫(yī)學院校例如加利福尼亞大學洛杉磯分校（UCLA）在課程計劃中安排有針灸實踐課。1995年國家食品藥品監(jiān)督局把針灸針也納入醫(yī)療儀器中，很多美國的保險公司也為針灸治療中發(fā)生的某種情況而作全額保險。