When Qi is imbalanced due to internal and external stressors such as diet, emotional upset, overwork, or even the weather, people can become ill, Stace Nelson-Hicks, DACM, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and a licensed acupuncturist in California, told Verywell in an email.
She explains that by using ancient diagnostic techniques and comprehensive interviews, practitioners can determine which organ systems and meridians need to be addressed, and target acupuncture points accordingly. TCM practitioners believe there are more than 2,000 acupoints in the body.
“Each point has its own function: some increase energy, others decrease it, thereby helping balance our patients to support recovery,” Nelson-Hicks said.