- low back pain

- neck pain

- osteoarthritis

- knee pain

- headache and migraine

- high and low blood pressure

- chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

- some gastric conditions, including peptic ulcer

- painful periods

- dysentery

- allergic rhinitis

- facial pain

- morning sickness

- rheumatoid arthritis

- sprains

- tennis elbow

- sciatica

- dental pain

- reducing the risk of stroke

- inducing labor

- fibromyalgia

- neuralgia

- post-operative convalescence

- substance, tobaccor and alcohol dependence

- spine pain

- stiff neck

- vascular dementia

- whooping cough, or pertussis

- Tourette syndrome

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of "yin" and "yang" of the life force known as "qi," pronounced "chi." Illness is said to be the consequence of an imbalance of the forces.Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridiens and energy flows are accessible through 350 acupuncture points in the body.Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.Some experts have used neuroscience to explain acupuncture. Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow, while at the same time triggering the activity of the body's natural painkillers.