Whatis acupuncture exactly?

Acupuncture is a traditional, chinese mode of treatment, which is over a thousand years old.The word acupuncture is the compound of the Latin word "acu" which stands for "needle" and the word "punctura" (derived from "pungere") which means "to puncture".

According to the chinese philosophy, the body contains so called "meridians"; these are pathways along which energy flows. On these meridians there are acupuncture points. These points can be used to influence the bodies energy. According to the same philosophy, illness is the result of an imbalance in the bodies energy.

The acupuncturist will examine the patient to try to find out where the energy flow is interrupted. If there is an energy blockage, the acupuncturist can choose a number of points and treat them with a very thin acupuncture needle. This way the acupuncturist hopes to restore the bodies energy balance and to give the patient the oppotunity to recuperate.