This is a practical manual for health professionals who are beginning to use modern medical acupuncture. It starts from the assumption that acupuncture works by modifying the activity of the nervous system. Modern research fails to confirm the existence of precisely localised 'acupuncture points' and these figure hardly at all in the book. Instead, the focus is on the principles that are used in deciding where to place the needles and on getting the amount of stimulation right. It is based on the course that the author has taught to health professionals for more than 35 years. It will be useful to students who have completed this course and also to those who have learned acupuncture in another way and who wish to explore a different approach.