Acupuncture points are central to the practice of acupuncture. Numbered sequentially from 1 to 41 (large points), and from 1 to 33 (small points), they are studied by licensed acupuncturists to effectively treat their patients. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of 20 lines connecting acupoints or meridians through which qi flows. According to TCM, all diseases are a result of disruptions in the flow of this qi or life force.

One class of acupuncture points is the Five Transporting Points System, which uses the analogy of rivers and points to describe the system of meridians and acupuncture points. When there is a free flow qi through this system, there is no pain; when there is pain, there is a disruption in the system’s flow. There are more than 360 stimulation or acupuncture points in the meridians, and it is within these points that acupuncture needles are inserted during an acupuncture treatment session.

One of the biggest obstacles to an acupuncture treatment for most people is their fear of the needles being inserted into their body. Fortunately, however, the insertion of these needles is almost entirely painless. In the hands of skilled, licensed acupuncturists, the insertion of these needles is in most cases painless. When discomfort is experienced, the sensation is similar to a mild ant bite. It is nowhere near as strong as the sensation one often experiences when donating blood.

Western science is still attempting to identify meridians using Western tools. The difficulty for Western scientists in this task lies in the fact that the meridians don’t directly correspond to nerve or blood pathways. Some researchers have hypothesized that the meridians are actually located throughout the body’s connective tissue.

However, Western scientists have gathered data suggesting acupuncture points are strategic conductors of electromagnetic signals. The Gate Theory supposes that pain signals must pass through high traffic “gates” as they move from an area of pain or injury through the spinal cord and to the brain. Like streets or freeways, there is a limited to the amount of traffic or signals that these gates can carry.

Like ambulances, some signals are given higher priority and clearance by the body’s nerve system. These higher priority signals fly by ordinary signals, at times even crowding them completely out of the pathway. Acupuncture generates these faster signals, and subsequently crowds out the slower, lower priority pain signals from reaching the brain. The signals produced by acupuncture may also trigger the release of opioids and other pain-reducing chemicals, perhaps also directing the immune system to give special attention to certain portions of the body.

Experimental and clinical evidence has found that acupuncture not only inhibits pain but also has a direct effect on circulation, blood pressure, blood cell production, and the immune system. It is believed that acupuncture points stimulate the brain and spinal cord to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain, altering brain chemistry in a positive way.

Acupuncture is still in many ways a mystery to Western medicine. That by no means, however, diminishes its efficacy. Whether acupuncture works by balancing the complementary forces of yin and yang in the body or by manipulating the electrical signals of the nerves, we don’t have a definite answer yet. We do know, however that acupuncture works wonders on many modern ailments, and that it is, in many cases, at least as effective as Western modalities in eradicating pain, promoting health, and restoring well-being.

Acupuncture is now more mainstream than ever. With more studies validating its practice, such as the MIT-Harvard Medical School clinical study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Brain Research in November of 2008, it is now considered an alternative or complementary medicine. Even the U.S. Army has begun using this ancient science. Military doctors are now administering “battlefield” acupuncture to troops who suffer from chronic or severe pain.

Acupuncture is as effective as standard drug treatments for such conditions as migraine, arthritis, gastric bleeding, ulcers, liver and kidney problems, nausea, motion sickness, vomiting, and drowsiness while having none of the unwanted side effects of over-the-counter medication. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, this Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is useful as a primary therapy for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, including muscle spasms, sprains, and repetitive stress injuries.

This ancient medicine is still working wonders at not just relieving pain but in treating other maladies as well. While physical problems such as high blood pressure, low back pain, and asthma can be treated with acupuncture, emotional pain – depression, anxiety, and generalized stress – can also be greatly improved with the use of acupuncture.

How exactly does acupuncture produce its effects? The fact that Western science is only now beginning to discover the answer to this question has often led lay people and medical professionals alike to demonstrate a healthy skepticism to this traditional medicine. But that doubt is slowly being replaced by belief as more studies continue to document what the Chinese have known for thousands of years: acupuncture works. Numerous studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins by stimulating the meridians or energy pathways of a patient. The endorphins are responsible for the improvement in mood patients often feel as well as their lower pain.

According to TCM, living organisms are a series of pathways of energy conduits or meridian channels. Diagnostic acupuncture uses these channels or meridians to detect blockages in flow, indicating blockages of energy. Vital energy, known as Qi in Chinese medicine, flows through 12 paired meridian channels, cycling throughout the body.

TCM believes that our health depends on the body’s ability to circulate Qi in a smooth and balanced fashion. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points along the meridian. These points are close to the surface of the skin and are easily accessible with fine needles, moxibustion or acupressure.

Like other medical treatments, the severity, age and complexity of your health challenge will determine the frequency of length of treatment you’ll need with acupuncture. Those who suffer from long standing physical problems or who suffer from a generally weak constitution will obviously require more frequent and sustained visits with an acupuncturist than a patient who suffers from an infrequent or acute condition.

Acupuncture has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as a safe, natural, drug-free, and, perhaps most importantly, effective method of addressing the symptoms and root causes of many health challenges. Its use in China, Japan, and other parts of Asia for thousands of years speaks to its efficacy as well. It’s a natural and powerful medicine that has been practiced for over 2,000 years. And it works.