Acupuncture is the use of very fine needles to stimulate the body, and produce a therapeutic effect on the fascia, muscle, skin, nerve, blood vessels, and internal organs, as well as more subtle and refined energetic layers. 

There are many styles of acupuncture, and numerous tools utilized by an acupuncturist. Classically, there was the "ancient 9 needles", which included rounded tools for working on the surface of the body, as well as scalpel-like instruments for lancing boils and doing minor surgery.

Today we use variations in gauge and length, but all are extremely fine and smooth stainless steel needles. By law, they are used once and then disposed of in a sharps container. They are completely different from hypodermic needles, which are larger and hollow, allowing for the injection of substances into the body, or the drawing of fluids out of the body

At StillPoint, we are able to incorporate a physical medicine type approach to acupuncture. This has a solid history in Chinese Medicine, specifically in the context of martial arts and bone setting traditions. Today, some people refer to this as sports medicine. It allows us to assess the relationship of the physical structure, posture, alignment, and movement, to the presenting condition as well as the overall state of health. A treatment strategy might include tui na bodywork, cupping, and acupuncture, as well as movement and exercise prescriptions for home.