Traditional Chinese Medicine works on a principle of balancing the body's function through manipulating qi, which travels throughout the body along specific meridians. The flow of qi keeps the body balanced. However, if the flow of this energy becomes "blocked", like water getting trapped behind a dam, the blockage can cause pain, dysfunction, and illness. Acupuncture is used to release blocked qi in the body and stimulate the body’s natural healing response through various physiological systems.