Traditional Chinese medicine says that good health is associated with the balance of qi --

an energy force that flows through the body. Qi can be hindered or helped by yin and yang -- opposing forces that, when balanced, work harmoniously together. According to traditional theory, the goal of acupuncture is to promote the flow of qi by keeping yin and yang in balance -- and this is done by inserting needles at various points along primary channels and meridians that crisscross the body.// Acupuncture is widely employed in easing cravings and withdrawal pains of heroin addicts. 40% of the drug courts in the United States use acupuncture as part of their therapy. In the Miami system alone there are close to four hundred treatments per day. In some countries, such as Sweden, the doctors have achieved success with acupuncture in treating the effects of stroke. Those stroke patients getting acupuncture along with physical therapy did a lot better than those getting physical therapy alone.//