Acupuncture is based on the assumption that Qi (or life energy) courses through channels in the body,  just as streams and rivers ebb and flow across the surface of the earth. Every Organ Network has a corresponding set of channels. The acupuncture points are located in small depressions in the skin called gates where the channels come closest to the surface. With acupuncture, the gates of the body are opened and closed to adjust circulation in the channels and expel noxious influences from them.         

Acupuncture may be helpful for treating pain, stress reduction, withdrawal from addictions, post surgical recovery, chronic fatigue, and decreased immunity to disease. Some of the many conditions for which acupuncture treatments are considered appropriate are listed by the World Health Organization, and include:

Infections –colds and flu, bronchitis, hepatitis

What does acupuncture feel like?

Insertion of the slender needles goes unnoticed by some, and to others feels like a small pinch followed by a sensation of tingling, numbness, ache, traveling warmth, or heaviness. Sometime people feel Qi moving at a distance from the point of needle insertion. Needles remain in place for twenty to forty minutes. Some notice a relief of symptoms or feel more energetic in the days that follow treatment. Most people are pleased to find that sessions are actually quite comfortable and even look forward to them.  After a treatment people generally feel very relaxed.