Acupuncture consists of inserting very fine needles into the skin at certain specified points, selected in accordance with the patient's disease and basic constitution. The needles are normally made from stainless steel.
The points at which the needles are inserted are called acupuncture points, acupoints or acupores. They are very precisely located, and have to be carefully chosen by considering a number of factors.
Acupuncture is a part of a complete system of medicine which has been practiced in China for many thousands of years. This medicine included acupuncture, herbal medicine, manipulative therapy, diet, relaxation and special exercises. acupuncture was used mostly for the treatment of superficial diseases such as skin problems, ulcers, wounds, headaches, coughs, disorders involving phlegm and digestive upsets, as well as some mental illness.
Occasionally conditions which we now regard as infectious were also treated with acupuncture. Diseases involving the vital organs, however, were more often treated with herbs, and musculoskeletal complaints were mainly treated with massage and manipulation.
Today, acupuncture is widely used and there have been many recent developments in the field. Sometimes it is used in conjunction with manipulative techniques or with homeopathy, as it combines with them all ( Nightingale, 1987).
