Acupuncture is a system of healing which has been practiced in China and other Eastern countries to restore, promote and maintain good health for about 3,000 years. The principles that underpin Chinese medicine are based upon Daoist philosophies of change, balance and harmony. In about 300BC, the first medical account of acupuncture, 'The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine' was written. These records of pathology and physiology provide the theoretical foundation for acupuncture today.

According to traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), good health is obtained by achieving internal equilibrium of the body's energy, known as Qi (pronounced 'chi'), and balance of Yin and Yang, which are equal and opposite qualities of Qi. It is important that Qi flows smoothly throughout our bodies via a series of meridians (channels) that lay beneath the skin. When there is an imbalance of internal energies then ill health may pervade. There are a number of factors that can affect the free-flow of Qi, these include emotional states such as stress, anger or grief, poor diet, weather conditions, infections, trauma and hereditary factors.

Acupuncture is able to restore the body's natural balance by the insertion of fine needles into the meridians that the acupuncturist can use to stimulate the body's own healing response. As well as treating a wide range of specific ailments, the overall focus of TCM is to use the practice of acupuncture to improve the general well being of the patient and not to await the arrival of illness.