It is a form of holistic healthcare (a form of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions) that is used to prevent and treat certain diseases as well as relieve pain and anesthetize patients for surgery. Research shows that this began in China and has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. The earliest account of this is found in the book called Nei Jing which in English means the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. The contents of this book date somewhere around 200 BC. Back then, they did not use metal needles and instead used those made out of stone, moxibustion [the burning of moxa (a downy substance obtained from the dried leaves of an Asian plant related to mugwort) on or near a person's skin as a counterirritant] and herbs to treat a patient. Acupuncture prevents and treats diseases by inserting very fine needles into the skin specifically at the anatomic points of the body. The principle behind this concept is that illnesses occur because there is an imbalance in your life force otherwise known as Qi. It is believed that this flows in 14 channels in the human body known as meridians which branch out to bodily organs and functions. If there is a blockage or obstruction in any of them, this is when you succumb to a disease or an illness. Get all the necessary info you need to know relating Medical Acupuncture.