traditional Chinese acupuncture  involves inserting very thin needles into specific body points to regulate the flow of energy along the pathways that exist throughout the body. In other types of acupuncture heat, pressure or a weak electrical current is used.

Acupuncture can be used to relieve pain and treat certain medical problems, including addiction, asthma, headaches, menstrual cramps and problems in the joints and muscles. Practitioners can achieve good results using acupuncture to ease toothache, pain after surgery and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

Besides inserting the acupuncture needles, and rotating them to tonify or disperse the Qi  energy, acupuncturists also use a moxa. The most widely used technique is a pure sagebrush or cone, which is lit to heat the point, or a piece is cut and placed on the handle of the needle.  The acupuncture technique  is widely used to treat pain. The definition and characterisation of acupuncture  points are now standardized by the World Health Organization (WHO).