Chinese acupuncture, roughly put, is a procedure of pricking needles into the acupressure points of the body for treatment of various diseases and sicknesses.
The Chinese believe that these points lie along the meridian or the "Qi" of the body.
The meridians are pathways for the flow of energy throughout the body.
However, there is no scientific evidence of such acupressure points in the body.
Acupuncture is believed to have originated in China way back during the Stone Age.
People of this age would use the Bian shi (sharpened stone) to administer the pressure.
A more accurate evidence of existence can be found during the 1st millennium BCE along with archaeological proof during the rule of the Han Dynasty.
Chinese acupuncture was used extensively during the Long March, after which it became popular in America during the 1970's.
Cases of patients being treated successfully with the help of Chinese acupuncture started surfacing.
The Chinese philosophy holds that all physiological functions of the human body strike a balance between the opposing forces of Yin (female) and Yang (male).
It is believed that the Qi (intangible vital energy force) and the Blood (slightly transgressed from the actually blood) are disturbed when there is a disease or illness of the body.
At this point twelve meridians consisting of twelve main channels and two specific meridians out of the rest eight consisting of the remaining two channels need to be manipulated by acupuncture to bring the body back into equilibrium.
These channels are located throughout the body.
The stomach, heart, large and small intestine, spleen, kidney and bladder, pericardium, an invisible San Jiao, liver and gall bladder form the twelve pathways.
The other eight pathways contain only two acupuncture points known as the Ren Mai and Du Mai.
The other six can be activated by applying acupressure on the twelve main pathways.
These twelve primary channels include six yin and six yang channels, three of each on the two arms and legs.
These channels have both inner and outer pathways through which the flow of the Qi is regulated.
Chinese acupuncture involves observing, listening, inquiring and feeling the senses of the patient's body before administering the required acupressure to relieve the stress or imbalance on the particular pathway.
Depending on the disturbed pathway, the specific organs are affected.
Acupuncture is administered with the help of fine needles with very thin tips, sterilized with spirit or by autoclave.
The depth of the puncture and regulation of the temperature of the body by moxibustion are all complex techniques that need to be mastered before being put to practice.
Very often, the treatment for headaches is to puncture points of the forehead to release the Qi of this area.
Mostly the patient begins by feeling a tingling sensation that is quickly replaced with relaxation.
However, a statement released by the American Medical Association in 1997 declares the absence of proof of safety of this type of treatment.
Neither is there sufficient efficacy nor is there enough research to approve of Chinese acupuncture as a valid medical procedure.
But at the same time, the hundreds of thousands of claims of success from acupuncture patients cannot be dismissed, showing there is significant merit to this medical technique.