Acupuncture Overview
Acupuncture is commonly known as a therapeutic procedure used to diagnose, prevent and treat a wide range of symptoms, diseases, and illnesses, and improve general health and wellbeing. Typically, acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin, threadlike medical needles into the skin and underlying tissues at precise areas on the body. However, acupuncture is more than just needling areas of the body.
The traditional theory and practice of acupuncture forms the basis of a complete system of medicine. Originating in ancient China, this medical system also includes the use of diet and nutrition therapy, meditation instruction, herbal medicine, energy healing, massage and manual therapy (tuina, acupressure), cupping therapy, exercise and fitness therapy (qi gong, tai qi), and heat therapy (moxibustion). Collectively, these are commonly referred to as Traditional Chinese Medicine, or simpy TCM. Because acupuncture makes up the core of TCM theory, and it is the most commonly used and well-known therapy of TCM, TCM is often simply called acupuncture and TCM practitioners are known as acupuncturists.
MORE ABOUT TCM
TCM is a modern term used to describe acupuncture and various other traditional naturopathic medical theories, techniques, and methods that originated in ancient China, and have since been used over millennia in the East Asian region of the world. On its own, TCM is a complete system of medicine that is rooted in holistic and functional principles and concepts of natural medicine.
In this regard, acupuncture presented within the scope of TCM is the most well-known and integrated hybrid of classical Chinese acupuncture. In the US, TCM is the most common form of Classical Chinese medicine that is practiced and taught. And therefore it is the variation of Classical Chinese medicine which most Americans are familiar with.