Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine; it involves inserting extremely thin needles through the skin to specific points on the human body. Acupuncture is explained as a technique for treating pain and balancing the flow of energy known as "qi" or "chi."

The idea is that by inserting needles into specific pathways of the body, that energy shall flow and be re-balanced. In contrast, Western medicine generally views acupuncture points as places that stimulate a person's muscles, nerves, and connective tissue.

Acupuncture is used to treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Labor
• Dental pain
• Neck and back pain
• Menstrual cramps
• Headaches and migraines
• Osteoarthritis
• Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy

What if something goes terribly wrong?

Acupuncturists are not shielded from medical malpractice lawsuits, which is why so many of them carry malpractice insurance.

The three main types of lawsuits filed against acupuncturists, include: 1) failure to refer a patient to a specialist (e.g. an oncologist for possible skin cancer), 2) injuring a patient due to improper technique; for example, puncturing vital organs or causing permanent nerve damage, and 3) the failure to property sterilize equipment.

If an acupuncturist uses dirty equipment and a patient develops a serious infection or a disease as a result of the improperly sterilized procedure, the patient may have grounds to file a lawsuit, and the same goes for someone who was not referred to a specialist, or someone who was injured due to an improper technique.

Medical Malpractice Insurance

These days, many acupuncturists carry medical malpractice insurance to ensure that their personal savings and profit margins aren't negatively affected by negligence claims.

If you, or someone you love has suffered undue injuries after receiving acupuncture, you should contact a medical malpractice attorney to file a claim for compensation!