Although not as widely accepted in the western world, acupuncture has been used with great success for centuries in China. Even in light of the hundreds of thousands of success testimonials from patients who have been treated with this method, there remains a good number of US medical professionals who doubt its effectiveness, although it is believed this is largely because of their unfamiliarity with it or they have never tried it.

Acupuncture began in TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is believed that health is a balance of yin and yang within the body. There are two flows within the body - one is the blood that flow (the yin) and the other is one's life force (the yang) which is also referred to as "Qi". Acupuncture uses fine needles applied to specific pressure points of the body to assist the flow of Qi and the blood, where the purpose is to reduce stagnation and tone if there is a deficiency.

TCM treats the body as a whole rather than individual parts, and disease is thought to basically be an imbalance of yin and yang. The purpose of acupuncture is to restore that balance via the particular pressure points along which the Qi and blood flow. The body has 14 channels where these flow.

Acupuncture affects one's immune system and is also proven to stimulate hormones within the body. This in turn has an effect on how blood flows as well as how and when certain gastric secretions are produced and released. It is no secret that acupuncture can lower a person's blood pressure and has an impact on the production of both white and red blood cells.

You would find no argument in the medical profession that our bodies largely operate by small electrical pulses. Acupuncture has known this fact for a long time and utilizes that information by tapping into this electrical current to restore the balance. This can actually be verified via an MRI showing a person's electromagnetic fields. The change in the flows that are a result of acupuncture treatment impacts how the body reacts and can generate different responses. It is this "different response" that is the restoration of the yin and yang balance, resulting in relief from the ailment that the patient is suffering from.

Your telephone book would be the first place to check for an acupuncture doctor or acupuncture therapist. Some of your local licensed massage therapists may know of an acupuncture doctor or may be an acupuncture therapist themselves. It would not hurt to also check with herbal medicine experts to see if they can refer you to someone.

After you have found some candidates, do not be afraid to interview them. They should be licensed by your state. Find out where they studied acupuncture, how long they have been doing it, what you can expect for your particular ailment, and any other questions you may have to make you feel comfortable with this doctor.

Frequently allopathic medicine is used in conjunction with acupuncture, TCM, and other types of therapies, although this largely depends on the particular ailment being treated. It has been used to successfully treat many different things, including arthritis, fertility, depression, and more. Find your acupuncture doctor, have a frank discussion with them about it, and consider giving it a try to provide relief from whatever affliction you have.