O riginating in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupunc ture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world, particularly in Asia, Russia and Europe. Acupuncture seeks to promote natural healing and improve function by inserting needles and applying heat or elec trical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture and the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation, classical Chinese theory explains that channels of energy, called meridians, run in regu lar patterns through the human body and over its surface. Meridians are like rivers flowing through the body to nourish tissues. An obstruc tion in the meridian acts like a dam blocking the movement of energy to tissues.
Acupuncture needles can unblock the obstruction and re establish energy flow.
These chemicals ease pain or trigger the release of chemicals and hormones that influence the body's internal regulating system. The medical art became widely known in the United States in 1971 when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in Beijing, China, used needles to ease his abdominal pain after surgery. Since then acupuncture has become one of the most frequently used medical techniques in the United States. In 1995 an estimated 10,000 na tionally certified acupuncturists practiced in the United States. This year that figure is expected to double.