Acupuncture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 3000 years. Acupuncture theory has its origins in meditation practice and massage. Practitioners became aware of channels of energy that ran throughout the body with sensitive points along which that could be manipulated to improve pain and disease outcomes. There are 12 defined acupuncture channels that run vertically, bilaterally and symmetrically. Each channel corresponds to, and connects with one of the twelve organs in chinese medicine. The acupuncture channels carry qi (energy) throughout the body; protect the body from pathogenic factors; respond to dysfunction in the body and make the body an integrated whole. Acupuncture points are anatomically defined areas where the qi of the channel can be tapped into and harnessed for a local or systemic affect. Research into acupuncture has found that it can promote the endogenous release of endorphins and block the pain response, both short and long term. There is also thousands of years of anecdotal evidence for the use of acupuncture on a multitude of ailments. As acupuncture is part of a whole health care approach, an initial consultation with an acupuncturist will go for approximately 1 hour. The consultation will cover both the symptom/condition that you are seeking health with, also a thorough health history. This is so the acupuncturist can get a picture of your individual constitution and treat the cause of your complaint rather than just the symptom. Also by understanding your constitution, you can start to use traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture preventatively, which is how it was intended to be used. Once a thorough history has been taken the acupuncture begins. Small needles are inserted superficially on relevant acupuncture points and remain there for anywhere between 20-30 mins. During which time you can relax or sleep in a peaceful setting. Most people will feel relaxed during and after their acupuncture session. Pain relief is another common side effect. Sometimes people experience emotional symptoms such as weeping, especially if there are any repressed emotions. Generally people are fine to carry on with their day in the usual way.