Living Well Magazine

Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body.

Through its origins, acupuncture has been embedded in the concepts of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its general theory is based on the premise that bodily functions are regulated by the flow of an energy-like entity called qi. Acupuncture aims to correct imbalances in the flow of qi by stimulation of anatomical locations on or under the skin called acupuncture points, most of which are connected by channels known as meridians. Scientific research has not found any physical or biological correlate of qi, meridians and acupuncture points and some contemporary practitioners needle the body without using a theoretical framework, instead selecting points based on their tenderness to pressure.