The meridians connect all parts of the body, internally and externally. Qi flows through all the meridians constantly but is concentrated in each of the twelve paired meridians for a specific two hour period in each 24 hour cycle. Very basically, any change in the flow of Qi , i.e., too much, too little, stagnation, or flowing the wrong direction leads to disharmony or illness. TCM does not recognize pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. These factors may affect the body singly or in combination.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of solid metal needles into points along the meridians.
AP points have specific anatomical locations. Careful observation and record keeping over thousands of years has lead to the identification of AP points with especially strong actions. AP points have many classifications including master, influential, connecting, transporting, Back Association, Front Alarm , and more. In addition, I feel it is very important that a complete Western medical work up and diagnosis are included in the history. The physical examination identifies the pattern of disharmony .