Acupuncture, as an alternative medical practice, is now
 
making headway in the Western world. It is now accepted
 
as a drug-free treatment and method of stress relief.
 
Practiced in China for more than 2,000 years,
 
acupuncture is a therapeutic system that makes use of
 
sterilized needles for the purpose of restoring the
 
body's equilibrium. The needles are inserted on specific
 
vital points that correspond to a specific internal
 
organ. The light insertion of the needle into a vital
 
point is supposed to free the flow of internal energy or
 
“chi.” According to Chinese medical theory, any
 
blockage in the flow of chi in the body's “energy
 
streams” or meridians can an imbalance in the body ---
 
resulting to an illness. The natural flow of chi ensures
 
a person's general state of health. The focus of
 
acupuncture is on restoring harmony in the flow of the
 
chi throughout the body and, in the process, balancing
 
the metaphysical concepts of yin and yang. Ancient
 
Chinese texts also claim that the acupuncture can be
 
used to treat minor mental and emotional problem such as
 
anxiety disorder. For this reason, some even compare the
 
Traditional Chinese Medicine method of acupuncture to
 
the Western medical discipline of psychology. Both are
 
seen as similar disciplines or therapy methods that have
 
a positive effect on the mental health of patients.
 
While there are still no research findings that make the
 
curative claims about acupuncture absolutely
 
undisputable, it is interesting to note the depth of
 
understanding that the Chinese had about the inner
 
workings of the human body thousands of years before the
 
formal organization and practice of Western medicine.
 
Perhaps, one day, scientists will finally prove that the
 
differences between Eastern and Western medicine is
 
found mostly in culture and terminology; and that both
 
systems are actually alike in terms of philosophy and
 
theory in the use of the needle as a tool for healing.