A traditional Chinese method of healing by inserting thin needles into certain areas beneath the skin and rotating them. Its rationale is that disease is a manifestation of a disturbance of Yin and Yang energy in the body, and that acupuncture brings this energy back into balance by what is described as ‘the judicious stimulation or depression of the flow of energy in the various meridians’. What is still unclear to Western doctors is why needling, which is the essence of acupuncture, should have the effect it is claimed to have. One theory is that the technique stimulates deep sensory nerves, promoting the production of pain-relieving ENDORPHINS. Acupuncture is increasingly used in the West, by practitioners of complementary medicine and some registered medical practitioners. As long as proper sterilisation procedures are followed, the treatment is safe although there is little scientific evidence that it is effective.