Despite its 2,500 year-old history and literally billions of satisfied patients in the east, acupuncture remains a health fad in the western world. In the words of Wallace Sampson, clinical professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University and editor of the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, "It doesn't exist. We've looked into most of the practices and, biochemically or physically, their supposed effects lie somewhere between highly improbable and impossible."

Sampson claims that although acupuncture is an ancient medical practice it was only formalized in a complex way in the past 100 years. Prior to that, the principle of sticking needles at certain pressure points largely varied form from region to another.

In addition, he says acupuncture does not provide specific cures. "If it has the effect of, say, releasing endorphins through the application of needles, well, many things release endorphins -- a walk in the woods, a 5-mile run, a pinch on the butt."

Although he does not think acupuncture is harmful he did call it useless.