In times of economic crisis and spending review, funding of many medical practices has increasingly been questioned.

Over the last years, basic research on acupuncture has been gradually revealing its underlying mechanisms which explain how acupuncture acts and produces its biological effects. The clinical results that acupuncturists have been experiencing for many years, are now being translated into biomedical terms.

Evidence based medicine (EBM) is the conscientious, explicit, judicious and reasonable use of modern, best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients and, subsequently, the effectiveness and safety of a given therapy. EBM integrates clinical experience and patient values with the best available research information.

Acupuncture is increasingly being practised as a complementary therapy, but its efficacy remains controversial and its physiological mechanisms of actions are largely unknown.