Definition: The word "acupuncture" literally means "invention, device or technique used for healing". It is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that uses needles to stimulate points on the body's meridians (usually found in the hands), which are believed to have specific functions and can help alleviate illness. The Chinese language uses acupoint as a synonym for "needle" and "point". The acupuncture points may be located anywhere on the body, but commonly used include the five main energy centers at the base of each finger, the two middle finger points (the "shoulder point"), the two index fingers points (the "nose-point"), the four thumb points (the "mouth point"), and the three little finger points (the "upper lip point"). The Chinese tradition has developed various forms of acupuncture including acupressure, which is a method for stimulating acupuncture points with a stylus or other tool. Acupuncture is not typically used in Western medicine today, although some alternative therapies are still used to treat conditions like chronic pain and insomnia.

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