Acupuncture Printable Version Getting the Point Pain relief is just one part of acupuncture. You've heard about people playing pin cushion. Maybe you know someone who's tried it. Acupuncture has been around for centuries. But it wasn't until 1971 that acupuncture became well-known in the United States, when a reporter traveling to Beijing with President Richard Nixon needed an emergency appendectomy and Chinese doctors eased his postoperative pain with acupuncture.
Acupuncture involves inserting needles into specific points on the body.
The needles are generally left in for five to 40 minutes, and the acupuncturist may apply various additional techniques depending on their training and the patient's needs. Electro-acupuncture involves sending electrical impulses through acupuncture needles. Auriculotherapy is acupuncture applied to points on the ear. Moxibustion uses burning herbs to heat the areas near acupuncture needles. Acupressure and tuina are other methods for stimulating the body.