As acupuncture was developed before the advent of modem science and is based on a different culture and philosophy, and has only recently been investigated scientifically, it must be recognized that knowledge about acupuncture is to be found in anecdotal observations rather than in systematic laboratory and clinical studies that have been published in the scientific literature. Furthermore, it must also be recognized that while some publications on acupuncture may not meet the stringent requirements of international peer-reviewed journals, but they may still provide potentially useful observations and ideas for further study. Therefore, a thorough literature survey should be the starting point for the clinical evaluation of acupuncture.