Western medicine is based on removing the malfunctioning part or adding chemical components to poison the invading virus or infection. Eastern medicine is based on making sure that the channels along which a person’s life-energy flows remain unblocked so that the healing-energy can pass through, keeping everything running smoothly. If these channels are blocked, problems will arise.

Along those lines, or meridians, are certain points which act as switches for particular parts of the body. The acupuncturist inserts a thin needle into one of these points and by manipulating it, unblocks the energy flow, enabling the healing life force to travel. To some, that sounds like a fluffy, poetic way of looking at healing. Western students of interpret this phenomenon a little bit differently. As the Western outlook is more chemically based, these students say that the needles are actually causing the body to release chemicals – like endorphins — which inadvertently induce a state of relaxation or relieve pain, thereby promoting health in the entire body.

Whatever the mechanisms, there are many people who swear by it, if for no other reason other than “it feels good”.

You may at this point be wondering if it’s safe. It is very safe if you visit someone who knows what they’re doing. The best way to ensure that you are in the right hands is to verify that the therapist is licensed. That means that they have satisfactorily completed at least enough schooling to have a Masters degree in healing and acupuncture, and that they passed a test for state certification. Beyond that, you must make sure that they use sterile, prepackaged needles. Asking many questions about their practice and philosophy is also a good idea, as a trustworthy therapist will tend to be more open about what they are doing. In addition, the doctor should be asking you for information about your medical history and current medications.

If you opt for acupuncture, give it some time to work before you decide whether it is time well spent. If you feel great from the beginning, that is a good reason in and of itself to continue.

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The Yin/Yang philosophy is detailed in the “I-Ching” book, which influenced all books on Chinese medicine for centuries after. However, the oldest book on Chinese medicine is the Nei Jing, which translates to “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine,” or “Canon of Internal Medicine” and was compiled around 305-204 B.C. Based on conversations between the emperor Huang Di and his physicians Qi Bo and Lei Gong, it was organized into two parts—one detailing disease and the necessity of living in harmony with nature, another describing acupuncture and the “nine needles” which were used.

It was around that time, in fact, that acupuncture needles replaced pointed bian stones, which are beautifully carved and polished and can — at first glance — resemble arrowheads. However, before metal needles were in prominent use, Chinese healers began fashioning needles from bone, which could be used for sewing and acupuncture.

A few hundred years later, from 260-265 A.D., a famous physician named Huang Fu Mi wrote the Systematic Texts of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Over several centuries, the practice of acupuncture thrived as healers learned more and revised their texts. Healers refined their techniques during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1568-1644.

After this boom, however, a dark age fell over the Chinese healing community as the use of acupuncture was suppressed during the Qing Dynasty, from 1644-1840, and again following the Revolution of 1911. It was during this period that Western medical practices were introduced, leaving acupuncture to be practiced as folk medicine by the poor.

But because acupuncture kept the Chinese army going during the Long March in 1934-35, Chairman Mao Zedong became a fan of the practice and saw that it remained in use as part of Chinese medicine. In 1950 he officially united traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

In 1968, in an excavated Han Dynasty tomb, explorers found a set of nine needles matching the configuration described in the Canon of Internal Medicine. These are the ancestors of today’s acupuncture needles, two of which are still in common usage.

In 1971, New York Times reporter James Reston wrote a piece on how acupuncturists relieved his pain after surgery. Since then, it has become more and more a part of alternative medicine in the West. In the late ’90s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reclassified acupuncture needles as medical instruments.

Although there is some controversy concerning acupuncture’s effectiveness and safety, it is up to the individual to delve into it independently and decide whether this treatment is right for him or her. As with every procedure, you may maintain safety by making sure you choose a licensed practitioner and by realizing both the benefits and limitations of the practice.

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