The most well-known traditional Chinese medical procedure, acupuncture is the practice of inserting sterilized, stainless-steel needles (that are often as fine as a human hair) into the body at specific points to relieve pain or treat a disease. Acupuncture points are areas of designated sensitivity. Stimulation of these points has been shown to be effective in the treatment of specific health problems. They have been mapped out over a period of more than 2,000 years.