There’s no clear answer as to whether the positive results most patients experience from acupuncture are from a placebo effect. But since most patients who try acupuncture love it and, when properly performed, involves very few risks and virtually no negative side effects, maybe you shouldn’t overthink it.
Acupuncture is a treatment that stimulates various body points by penetrating the skin with thin metal needles. It draws on medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries.
The most important thing you can do to assure yourself high-quality medical care is to form a strong relationship with a good primary care physician and, at times, together make informed decisions on specialty care.
We advise consumers to select physicians who are “board certified,” and we report on board certification status in our ratings tables. Here’s what board certification means and why it is important.
