Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the practice of piercing the skin with needles at specific body sites to induce anesthesia, to relieve pain to alleviate withdrawal symptoms of substance abusers, or to treat various non-painful disorders. The placement of needles into the skin is dictated by the location of meridians. These meridians are thought to mark patterns of energy flow throughout the human body. Acupuncture has 4 components—the acupuncture needle(s), the target location defined by traditional Chinese medicine, the depth of insertion, and the stimulation of the inserted needle. Acupuncture may be performed with or without electrical stimulation. Acupuncture is a traditional form of Chinese medical treatment that has been practiced for over 3,000 years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared acupuncture needles for marketing. The needles used in acupuncture, when intended for general use in “the performance of acupuncture,” have been classified by the FDA as Class II devices (The Gray Sheet, April 8, 1996). <a id="