Acupuncture  involves the insertion of very fine, single-use sterile needles at a shallow depth under the skin at various specific points on the body. Modern biomedicine is now finding the physiological effects of acupuncture on a number of body systems and functions some which include:

• Neurological: including relief from pain, for example through stimulation of endorphins
• Psychological: regulates brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, that regulate sleep and elevate mood
• Endocrine: regulates thyroid function and blood glucose levels
• Respiratory: increases breathing capacity, reduces mucous secretion, anti-inflammatory and clears blocked nose
• Reproductive health: Regulates periods and enhances fertility through regulating FSH, luteinising hormone and estradiol levels, stimulates oxytocin production (promoting uterine contraction in childbirth), stimulates lactation through prolactin production and raises sperm count and motility
• Cardiovascular: reduces blood pressure, regulates cardiac rhythmn, regulates blood clotting and improves microcirculation

From a Chinese medicine perspective, acupuncture regulates imbalances of Qi and blood flow along the meridians or channels on which the points lie, eliciting the above effects and harmonising the body's physiological processes.