Acupuncture is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, along with herbalism, massage, nutrition and energetic work such as tai chi and qi gong. It has been used for thousands of years to treat a vast array of ailments from musculoskeletal injuries to cancer. The basic principal is that of inserting tiny needles into very specific anatomical locations along what are called meridians or lines of energy. These meridians correlate with nerve pathways and connect to all areas of the body; the surface layers such as skin and muscles but also the deeper layers such as our internal organs.

The main foundational theory within this form of medicine has to do with Qi or energy. Qi is everything, from all that the Universe encompasses energetically right down to the physiological processes of the body. When our Qi is flowing in a healthy, unencumbered manner we are in a more balanced state of living. When Qi becomes stagnant, such as with an injury, or weak such as with chronic fatigue syndrome or depression, pathology ensues. Needles are then used to help the body go back towards homeostasis by influencing deeper physiological and cellular functioning of the body.