Cited as an effective system of health care by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are becoming a serious alternative or complement to conventional pain management and medical treatment. Oriental medicine is an effective, low-cost medical treatment that works in harmony with the body. Its aim is to improve the patient's health both physically and spiritually by rebalancing the body's own healing mechanisms. Treatment focuses on the well being of the entire person, not simply on physical complaints and symptoms. Acupuncture, herbs, diet, massage and meditative physical exercises such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong all fall under the umbrella of Oriental medicine.
Diagnosis involves the classical procedures of observation, listening, questioning and palpation.
Oriental medicine's effects are gentle, free of the side effects of many pharmaceutical drugs used for the same conditions. As a form of primary healthcare, Oriental medicine addresses a broad range of conditions that Western medicine finds difficult to treat such as stress, depression, addiction, chronic pain, allergies, migraines and low back pain. In addition to treating primary health complaints, the benefits of Oriental medicine include pain relief, immune enhancement and increased energy and well being. One of the treatments, acupuncture, is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical techniques in the world, originating in China more than 3,000 years ago. Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians.