Acupuncture helps to restore balance within the body systems and promote the body’s natural healing abilities. The insertion of acupuncture needles in various sequences and combinations opens the meridians, improving the flow of qi throughout the body. What has been difficult to interpret and understand in our vocabulary and western-based scientific knowledge, is the undeniable effectiveness of acupuncture at treating an issue when the needle insertion sight may be at a completely different area of the body as the issue. For example, a patient complains of a frozen shoulder, the acupuncturist needles the shin, and the patient’s shoulder joint opens up, the patient’s pain level slowly decreases, the muscles around their shoulder relax, their shoulder joint opens up, their range of motion increases, and their frozen shoulder improves. Not only are the acupuncture meridians and points mysterious yet incredibly effective, the wording of Chinese medicine is poetic and can come off as cryptic or koan-like, which creates confusion of how exactly this medicine works. Although we may not be able to put this all fully into words, modern research has shown that acupuncture has measurable effects on the nervous system, helping to regulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play a role in mood and stress management. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and has been shown to reduce inflammation, and improve circulation.