Acupuncture is the application of needles into specific points on the skin surface to cause a desired healing effect by balancing the energy or “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) in the body. Acupuncture has been shown to provide pain relief (such as osteoarthritis), promote tissue healing, anti-inflammatory effects, improve quality of life, and assist in end of life care. Chinese Medicine and the fundamental principles of acupuncture are to treat the patient as an integrated whole and to identify and remedy the root of cause of disease.