We find the origin of acupuncture in the mist of thousands of years’ history of ancient China, and to a lesser degree in India and Sri Lanka. We don't know how acupuncture was discovered, but we do know that countless highly intuitive doctors developed it into a complex system of medicine, which included sophisticated diagnostic methods to enable the practitioner to prescribe individualized treatments for practically all illnesses.
In the 1960’s the West was shocked when authentic videos appeared depicting open heart surgeries performed in China with solely acupuncture anaesthesia. Later in the 70's, other video's arrived showing Professor Jayasuria from Sri Lanka routinely performing caesareans, while telling jokes to the woman who was fully awake and indeed laughing while the baby was delivered. (In the late 90's I was fortunate to work closely with him.)
The reason, why later clinical trials provided somewhat inconsistent results, was that in West we ignored the historical fact that in traditional China Acupuncture was almost always accompanied by some form of hands-on body work, such as Tuina, as well as dietary and lifestyle advice, including herbal prescriptions.
It is my view, and I have thoroughly embraced it in my clinical practice, that Acupuncture becomes fully effective only in a coherent and harmonious interaction with appropriate complementary treatment modalities, which should include medical technology.
Acupuncture is the art, science and practice of inserting needles into special therapeutic points of the body, called acupuncture points. The needles are very fine, causing only a mild sensation after insertion. This sensation is an important sign, as it indicates that the acupuncture point is activated and that the treatment is effective. Acupuncture, when applied professionally, has very high safety standards, it has no significant side effects, and its effectiveness have been proven by clinical trials as well as clinical practice of thousands years in China and in the western world since the 1960's.