Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin at specific points in the body. There is no injection of any substance and the treatment itself causes minimal discomfort. Acupuncture is safe and effective and is often successfully used as an adjunct to conventional medicine or on its own.

The classical explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up in others.

The meridians can be influenced by the needling the acupuncture points; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release if other chemicals and hormones which influences the body’s own internal regulating system.

Medical acupuncture respects our contemporary understanding of neuromuscular anatomy and pain physiology, while embracing the classical Chinese perception of a subtle circulation network of energy called Qi (pronounced ‘chi’).