Acupuncture is a holistic system of medicine, which originated in China over 5000 years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is widely practised in China, Korea, Japan and other eastern countries. Acupuncture began with the discovery that stimulating certain areas of the skin affected the functioning of specific internal organs. It evolved into system of medicine, as the relationship between skin and the organs was better understood and more sensitive ways of stimulation were devised. From the Chinese medicine perspective, our health is dependent on the body’s vital force (known as Qi), which travels around a series of channels (meridians) between the skin as well as through related internal organs. Acupuncture treatment, by inserting fine needles into specific points along these channels, can restore health by stimulating the body’s natural self-healing abilities.
