Linda Joy Stone, a licensed acupuncturist at Campus Health Service, does not describe herself as a healer, but rather as a “”facilitator of change.””

Passionate about her work and what it has to offer, Stone wishes to demystify this ancient Eastern treatment to the West.

She explains that acupuncture has proven highly successful with “”student stressors”” such as overworking, fatigue, anxiety, depression and muscle pain, and can help treat addictions and relieve chronic migraines as well.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, these common ailments of students are merely obstructions or disturbances of an individual’s qi, (pronounced chee,) or vital life force, Stone said.

“”Where there is pain, there is an acupuncture point,”” Stone said.

Humans have a matrix of energy circulating throughout the body, Stone said. Disturbances in the body’s energy circulation are common and simply need a jumpstart to restore balance, she said.

“”Acupuncture is like fine-tuning a musical instrument or recalibrating the body-mind so that it can reflect harmony and balance,”” she said.

However, for some UA students, the thought of puncturing the skin with needles as a remedy for stress or anxiety seems like a major oxymoron.

“”I would never do acupuncture because I have a strong fear of needles, and it is an extremely unnecessary process to relieve stress,”” said John Peach, an economics freshman.

According to Stone, acupuncture is far from painful, and often patients fall asleep during treatment.

“”The needles are so fine that there is relatively little sensation,”” Stone said. “”Sometimes there is a brief electrical sensation or tiny pinch on insertion.””

For other UA students, needles are nothing to fear and are a small price to pay for stress relief. Chelsea Hodges, a microbiology freshman, said, “”Why not? I’d do anything to relieve stress.””

An average of 12 needles are inserted during treatment to different points on the body, Stone said.

There are 365 points on the body connected to 14 meridians, or channels, that connect to internal organs, Stone said.

In order to properly place the needles, Stone runs profiles of the patients’ history and checks pulses on both wrists, describing them as either weak or strong to determine where on the body the needles should be inserted.

She also checks the tongue for any abnormalities because the different parts of this organ affect other body parts.

For example, the tip of the tongue affects the heart and the sides affect the liver and gallbladder, Stone said.

Stone has practiced acupuncture and Chinese medicine for almost 18 years. She received her education