Many people connect the concept of acupuncture with needling insertion. Acupuncture is a very wide concept. In USA, it includes all kinds of techniques related to acupuncture and moxibustion (針灸,Zhen Jiu), such as regular filiform needle therapy, electro-acupuncture, ear acupuncture, scalp acupuncture, cupping, skin needle therapy, intradermal needle therapy, three-edged needle therapy, indirect moxibustion therapy, direct moxibustion therapy, point external application therapy, acupressure, guasha, etc. Different acupuncture prescription with different manipulation, work differently. How to choose acupuncture points and techniques, how to apply different manipulations, depends on the doctor’s medical knowledge and clinical experiences, so to find a well-educated, experienced provider is very important. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles (up to 20) through your skin at strategic points on your body. A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management. Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi (chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance. In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. Some believe that this stimulation boosts your body’s natural painkillers.