Acupuncture originated as a traditional practice of Chinese medicine, and in its classical form, acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of medicinal practice in human history still being used today. Many nations around the world swear by acupuncture, and the popularity of the practices has spread throughout the world, though it is variably accepted as an effective and trusted method of treatment. The uses of acupuncture traditionally centered on actuating different bodily functions that may be stalled or working improperly, warming the body, defending against pathogens, containing bodily fluids, and transforming those fluids into other usable forms of material or energy. Some of those traditional intentions have been kept, while others have changed.
There are dozens of other potential health benefits being researched as well, including asthma, drug addiction, epilepsy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, schizophrenia, tennis elbow and many more. The research for these effects of acupuncture in all of its forms has been somewhat limited but continues at this time.
The Final Word: As mentioned before, there are dozens of other potential treatments that acupuncture might positively effect, including help quitting smoking to improved vision, weight loss, hormonal balancing, fertility, and erectile dysfunction. Ongoing research in many of these areas will bring answers to light in the coming years, but at the moment, verified scientific proof is limited. A number of placebo experiments have shown acupuncture believers to legitimately improve their health in the ways they had hoped, even when undergoing “sham” acupuncture, so there can still be miraculous benefits to using acupuncture in your weekly or monthly health regimen.