Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture continue to gain popularity among the American public for the treatment of diseases where mainstream medical therapies have had little success. Traditional Chinese medical treatments are based on the mystical belief that a cosmic energy called chi, flows through the human body and when its' flow is blocked the result is pain and illness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (primarily herbs) and acupuncture restore the body's normal energy flow (chi) which results in illness being cured by allowing the body to heal itself. Acupuncture attempts to restore chi by inserting needles into specific points on the skin or on the outside of the ear. Although, traditional thought of as very safe, with few or no side effects a few medical authorities have recently challenged the long held belief that both methods are free of risk.