First, the body is considered an integrated whole, with the different organ systems operating in an interdependent manner. Diagnosis and treatment must reflect this principle. Second, in terms of causality and the way an illness can affect an individual, the mind and body are not distinct. For instance, emotional stress can be at the root of a physical illness, just as a physical illness can undermine the ability to cope with emotional stress. Third, the disease process is multipronged and complex.
Healing addresses multiple possible illness-inducing factors.
When the person is ill, the balance and circulation of the qi are impaired. Acupuncture is designed to correct the imbalance and facilitate the circulation of qi in order to restore health. This is achieved by the insertion of fine sterile needles at specific points on the body's surface, followed by light manual or electrical stimulation. In recent years, people with HIV have been using acupuncture to enhance the immune system and reduce pain, to manage HIV-related disorders and symptoms and the side effects of medication, to help in the process of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and to cope with stress and emotional disorders. During the late '80s and early '90s, while western medicine was making little headway in developing effective treatments for HIV disease, people with HIV took to the streets to demand more research.