Acupuncture can feel like a mix between magic and science. That is because it is practiced differently by each acupuncturist and depends greatly on how we diagnose each patient and what we believe are the root causes of the symptoms patients come in with. We may treat back pain, menstrual imbalance, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, or chronic illness very differently in each patient. The symptoms we deal with might be the same but the underlying reasons they occur may be completely different, requiring an individualized assessment (acupuncturists usually ask a lot of questions!) and a tailored treatment plan. After over 2,000 years of acupuncture, moxibustion, gua sha, cupping, Chinese Medicine and nutrition therapy, tui na, qi gong, and other healthcare modalities being practiced in East Asia, acupuncture has arrived relatively recently to the West. Most original texts are not even translated into Western languages and only recently has Western science and medicine started to incorporate, recognize, and test parts of this evidence based medicine through clinical trials and modern science. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work in this field know that although there are scientific clinical studies that prove its efficacy, and the World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture to be effective to treat over 100 different conditions, ultimately acupuncture has been empirically proven and its diagnosis and treatment methods stem from a completely different worldview. Though it's quite complex to explain, (and there are definitely books I can recommend if you're interested!) a simple version would be this: acupuncturists stimulate different points in the body that correspond with a map of meridians where qi and xue move. We use needles and moxibustion (the burning of herbs close to the acupuncture point) to stimulate the body to release blockages in the meridians to support the even flow of qi and xue.  We use different tools like cupping, to form suction, gua sha to press the skin to help release stagnation, tui na, qi gong, herbs, and foods that also act as medicine. All of these ultimately boost the immune system and calm the nervous system which helps alleviate countless symptoms.