Acupuncture is a complete system of health care that has been in use for over 2,000 years in China. It is the primary approach to healthcare for more than 1/3 of the world’s population today and is extremely safe and effective. The use of acupuncture is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and there are now an estimated 13,000 licensed acupuncturists in this country! The art and science of acupuncture is based on an energetic understanding of the body. This energy, called qi, is seen as the animating force of life and is said to flow along particular pathways, called meridians. Illness on any level, including the level of the body, mind/emotions and spirit is understood to be the result of an obstruction or disharmony in the flow of qi through the meridians. In acupuncture we use very fine needles to regulate and harmonize this flow.