Acupuncture (I)

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle" (noun), and pungere, "prick" (verb) or in Standard Mandarin, zhēn jiǔ (針灸) is a broad term covering techniques for inserting and manipulating thin needles into "acupuncture points" on the body in order to restore health and well-being. Acupuncture is practised by "Licensed Acupuncturists" and other healthcare professionals. In the West, it is associated with Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM along with herbal medicine and tui na. Other types of acupuncture, notably Japanese, Korean, and classical Chinese acupuncture, are practiced and taught throughout the world.

Whether acupuncture is efficacious or a placebo is subject to scientific research. There is no scientific consensus over whether or not evidence supports efficacy. Reviews of existing clinical trials have been conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier according to the protocols of evidence-based medicine; some reviews have found efficacy for headache and nausea, but for most conditions have concluded a lack of effectiveness or lack of well-conducted clinical trials. The World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have also commented on acupuncture. These groups disagree on what is acceptable evidence and on how to interpret it, but generally agree that acupuncture is relatively safe and that further investigation is warranted.