Acupuncture has been effectively treating disease for 2000 years. Over one billion people in Asia view the body and disease according to the ideas of Chinese medicine. There was increased interest in acupuncture in this country in the 1970's when China and the United States opened relations.

The Chinese explanation of acupuncture and how it works is not based on Western biomedical science, but on a system of meridians, or pathways that form a network and link the tissues and organs into an organic whole. Disease occurs when the flow of Qi in the meridians becomes deficient, excessive, stagnant, or blocked. These conditions can be influenced and altered by the insertion of acupuncture needles into points located along the meridians to regulate and balance the flow of Qi in the body.

Extensive research in both the East and the West shows that acupuncture works both locally and systemically. It has measurable effects on the autonomic nervous system and, therefore, on vascular and endocrine physiology. It affects brain chemistry and neurotransmitters, including endorphins, which play a role in pain relief.

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