Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that involves inserting needles into various pressure points around the body. It is believed in Chinese medicine that energy flows around the body along certain lines. The insertion of needles along these lines can either increase or decrease the flow of energy. This change in the body’s energy can be used for various different conditions including pain relief and stress reduction.

It is believed that acupuncture dates back to over 4000 years ago as needles have been found dating back to this time. However in the west acupunctures was practically unknown until the 1970s when Richard Nixon visited China. Today acupuncture is practised widely across the western world and is often used alongside medical treatment to aid recovery and relieve pain.

Acupuncture can be used to treat a large number of ailments and in fact the World Health Organisation recommends it as effective for over 40 medical conditions, these include allergies, respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, gynaecological problems, nervous conditions, and disorders of the eyes, nose and throat, and childhood illnesses, addictions, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, fatigue, hayfever, headaches, insomnia, menstrual problems, migraines, eczema and stress among others.