Acupuncture

Founded in the philosophy of ancient China, this is the theory that disease is caused by an imbalance between the Yin (passive, dark, female) and the Yang (active, light, male) aspects of the spirit, leading to the obstruction of the vital force (ch'i).The goal of treatment is restoration of the Yin-Yang balance and hence health. To explain the well-established anaesthetic powers of acupuncture, scientists theorize that acupuncture needles induce natural opiates or that they interfere with the nerves' transmission of painful stimuli. Western physicians reject the notion that acupuncture can cure disease, however.H Kruger, Other Healers, Other Cures: A Guide to Alternative Medicine (1974)