Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a practice from traditional Chinese medicine in which a practitioner inserts very fine, single-use needles into the skin at chosen points. Some practitioners also use gentle heat (moxibustion) or pressure. Traditional acupuncturists aim to rebalance the flow of energy (qi) along pathways called meridians; others use a Western medical approach. There is good evidence it may help prevent frequent headaches and some evidence for long-term pain; for other needs it is limited: see “Acupuncture: what the research says”.