Acupuncture, one of the main forms of therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, has been practiced for at least 2,500 years. In acupuncture, certain points on the body associated with energy channels or meridians are stimulated by the insertion of fine needles. Unlike the hollow hypodermic needles used in mainstream medicine to give injections or draw blood, acupuncture needles are solid. The points can be needled between 15 and 90 degrees in range relative to the skin's surface, depending on treatment.

Acupuncture is thought to restore health by removing energy imbalances and blockages in the body. Practitioners of acupunture believe that there is a vital force or energy called qi (pronounced "chee") that flows through the body, and between the skin surface and the internal organs, along channels or pathways called meridians. There are 12 major and 8 minor meridians.  Acupuncture may be used to raise or lower the level of yin or yang in a specific part of the body in order to restore the energy balance.

As already noted, the purpose of acupuncture is the rebalancing of opposing energy forces in different parts of the body. In Western terms, acupuncture is used most commonly as an adjunctive treatment for the relief of chronic, acute pain, allergies, and weight loss. In the United States, acupuncture is most widely used to treat pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders.