Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing.
This is done by inserting needles, and applying heat or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points. The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body, and resticts is in others. The acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and re-establish the regular flow through the meridians.