Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of needles. During treatment, the patient has full control of the intensity of stimulation. It is particularly useful for patients experiencing chronic pain who have failed to respond to one or two sessions of conventional acupuncture. Western medical acupuncture is a therapeutic modality involving the insertion of fine needles; it is an adaptation of Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology, and the principles of evidence based medicine. While Western medical acupuncture has evolved from Chinese acupuncture, its practitioners no longer adhere to concepts such as Yin/Yang and circulation of qi, and regard acupuncture as part of conventional medicine rather than a complete “alternative medical system”.
