Acupuncturists are licensed professionals who use various techniques to help influence balance in an individual. Licensed professionals have at minimum a 4 year Master’s Degree from an accredited college. Needling, cupping, massage, moxa, nutritional recommendations, and herbal prescriptions are all inherent to an acupuncturist’s scope of practice. Acupuncturists select points along meridians and stimulate them via ultra-thin needles, pressure, and/or heat. Using these methods, regulating or stimulating functions are triggered, enabling cell renewal and the release of cell secretions, such as chemical messengers, including hormones and neurotransmitters. Clinical research into acupuncture has been able to demonstrate how particular parts of the brain are activated during an acupuncture treatment, and how it can increase blood flow and circulation. Acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the Twin Cities and Minneapolis area.