Acupuncture is a component of Oriental medicine commonly used in China's health care system. Deeply embedded in Chinese history, it can be traced back for at least 2,500 years. The general theory of acupuncture revolves on the premise that there are patterns of energy flow (Qi) throughout the body, essential for sustaining health. Qi circulates within our body through channels called Meridians, which in turn are connected bodily organs and their functions. Disruptions of this flow, Qi, are believed to be responsible for disease. Acupuncture aids in the correction of the imbalance and blockage of Qi at identifiable points along the skin. Until the visit of President Nixon to China in 1972, the practice of acupuncture to treat identifiable pathophysiological conditions in American medicine was rare and unknown. Since that time, there has been an explosion of interest in the United States and Europe in applying the acupuncture technique to Western medicine.

Acupuncture is among the procedure which involves the stimulation of superficial locations all along the skin. Now, there are various approaches in diagnosis and treatment in Western medical procedures that incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The most widely studied practice of the stimulation of acupuncture points involves the insertion of thin, steel needles into the skin which are then manipulated either manually or through an electrical current by the acupuncturist. The needles are either inserted at the point of pain or around the pain. A majority of the results contained in these reports are based on the data that came from such studies. Currently, the stimulation that occurs in acupuncture is obtained through moxibustion, pressure, heat, and laser.

Acupuncture has been used by millions of American patients and is performed by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners for relief or prevention of pain, as well as applying it in treatment for a vast array of health conditions. Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finally recognized the positive benefits of acupuncture and recently removed acupuncture needles from the category of "experimental medical devices". As with other medical tools, such as surgical scalpels and hypodermic syringes, acupuncture needles require law abiding manufacturing practices and single-use standards of sterility.