What's the point of acupuncture and acupressure?

Acupuncture and acupressure are methods of traditional Chinese medicine that are used to balance a person?s life force, or qi (pronounced ?chee?). When a person?s qi is out of sync, it?s believed to cause illness or pain. While both acupuncture and acupressure are said to help increase flow through specific pathways in the body, there?s a pointed difference between these treatments. In acupuncture, a hair-like needle is inserted into areas along the body?s energy pathways and then stimulated by twirling the needle or attaching it to a mild electrical current. In acupressure, the same areas are stimulated and energy is redirected through the use of pressure applied with the fingers or small objects, such as seeds, plastic beads, or metal balls. Acupuncture and acupressure have been associated with relief of symptoms, including pain, resulting from a number of conditions, though it?s unclear the mechanisms through which the relief is provided.