Research Paper On Acupuncture

What is acupuncture? Acupuncture is a form of treatment that has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for many centuries. Acupuncture is based on the theory that energy, called chi, flows all around the body. Meridians are the pathways through which this energy(chi) flows around the body. According to acupuncturists, an illness will occur when the meridians (energy pathways) have been blocked or or there is an unbalance of the chi. Acupuncture thus heals a patient by unblocking the meridians and by restoring back the chi and helping it flow back into its normal state .

Acupuncture can be traced back at least 2500 years. Even though acupuncture originated from china, today acupuncture has spread to Europe, America, Africa and pretty much all over the world. This practice involves inserting very thin needles at specific points on the body of the patient. The thin needles are inserted to various depths according to the part of the body where they are inserted. However, the theory behind how acupuncture works has not yet been proven scientifically and this has caused the use of acupuncture in western countries highly controversial.
One session of acupuncture lasts about 30 minutes. The acupuncturist first does an assessment of the patient's condition by asking him/her where he/she fells pain. After the assessment, the patient may be asked to lie down on his/her back, or face downwards, or sideways depending on the location of where the needles are to be inserted. The next step is insertion of the needles at the specific points identified by the acupuncturist. The acupuncturist has to use single-use disposable sterile needles only. Once the needles have been inserted, they have to stay there for at least 20 minutes. Some acupuncturists stimulate the needles by electricity or