Very thin needles are used to stimulate specific points in the body. Acupuncture treatments are designed to improve the flow and balance of energy along these meridians. Traditional Chinese medicine is at least 2,500 years old. It views the human body as a system of energy flows. When these flows are balanced, the body is healthy.
Practitioners take their patients' pulses and examine their tongues to diagnose energy imbalances.
In Chinese medicine, pulses can be taken at three positions on each wrist, and at three depths at each position. Instead, a practitioner of Chinese medicine will talk about energy imbalances. In traditional Chinese medicine, there are many ways to improve the balance of the body's energy flows. The most common techniques used in the western world are exercise techniques such as Qigong or Tai Chi, acupuncture, and herbalism. Fact Sheet 704 has more information on Chinese herbalism.