Acupuncture may sound like an exotic—maybe even improbable—treatment for chronic pain. But this age-old Chinese medical practice has been increasingly accepted in this country as an alternative treatment for low back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis, and is now covered by some insurance companies.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture (a branch of traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM) is a practice 3,500 years older than traditional Western medicine. It works by applying needles, heat, and pressure to specific points on the body. The theory is that invigorating these points releases or redirects the body’s natural energy known as chi or qi because illness and pain come from blockages or imbalances of this vital life force.