Acupuncture is an alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of needles in the body. Its practitioners variously claim that it relieves pain, treats infertility, treats disease, prevents disease, promotes general health, or can be used for therapeutic purposes.Acupuncture typically incorporates traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an integral part of its practice and theory. The term acupuncture is sometimes used to refer to insertion of needles at points other than traditional ones, or to applying an electric current to needles in acupuncture points. Acupuncture dates back to prehistoric times, with written records from the second century BCE. Different variations of acupuncture are practiced and taught throughout the world.

Ideas of what constitutes health and healing sometimes differ from concepts used in scientific, evidence based medicine. Traditional acupuncture was developed prior to the understanding of human anatomy and cell theory upon which modern biology is based. According to acupuncture, disease is believed to be caused but by an imbalance of yin and yang (a metaphysical balance) caused by a "blockage" or "stagnation" of metaphysical energy known as qi (pronounced "chee") which is believed to flow within and without the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based in part on the mysticism of Daoism, with a belief that all parts of the universe are interconnected. The location of meridians are based on the number of rivers flowing through an ancient Chinese empire, and acupuncture points were originally derived from Chinese astrological calculations. and do not correspond to any anatomical structure. No force corresponding to qi (or yin and yang) has been found in the sciences of physics or human physiology.

The evidence for acupuncture's effectiveness for anything but the relief of some types of pain and nausea has not been established. Systematic reviews have concluded that acupuncture is no more effective than nonpenetrating stimulation of one point to reduce some types of nausea. Evidence for the treatment of other conditions is equivocal. Although evidence exists for a very small and short-lived effect on some types of pain, several review articles discussing the effectiveness of acupuncture have concluded it is possible to explain as a placebo effect. Publication bias is a significant concern when evaluating the literature. Reports from the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine In America (NCCAM), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various US government reports have studied and commented on the efficacy of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles.

Acupuncture is often accompanied by moxibustion, which involves burning mugwort on or near the skin at an acupuncture point. There are three methods of moxibustion: Direct scarring, direct non-scarring, and indirect moxibustion. Direct scarring moxibustion places a small cone of mugwort on the skin at an acupuncture point and burns it until the skin blisters, which then scars after it heals. Direct non-scarring moxibustion removes the burning mugwort before the skin burns enough to scar, unless the burning mugwort is left on the skin too long. Indirect moxibustion holds a cigar made of mugwort near the acupuncture point to heat the skin, or holds it on an acupuncture needle inserted in the skin to heat the needle. The Chinese character for acupuncture means "acupuncture-moxibustion". It is claimed that moxibustion militates against cold and dampness in the body and can serve to turn breech babies. Meta-analysis of the current evidence regarding moxibustion in treatment for ulcerative colitis concluded that evidence is insufficient to show that moxibustion is an effective treatment.

Auriculotherapy applies acupunctue or moxibustion to the ear. It is believed that a part of the ear (the auricle) is a microsystem with the entire body represented on it.