Case 1: Susan, 56, runs a decorating supplies shop, and has been visiting us for over four years. She first tried acupuncture because the conventional medical approach to her condition of arthritis was disappointing. 'I was in a great deal of pain and had very little movement in my hands until I started to have acupuncture, which keeps me mobile and pain free' says Susan. She now also visits for help with stress since, last year, she was diagnosed with a tumour in the bowel and had to face major surgery.

'Acupuncture has definitely assisted me through this whole stressful experience,' says Susan. 'It helps me relax and also gives me a boost of energy. I am still running my busy shop and walking my dogs every day.'

Case 2: Jennifer, 50, came to visit us when she realised she had become an alcoholic. 'My drinking was completely out of control,' Wilma recalls. 'I drank because I was under a great deal of stress and I didn't know how to give it up.'

Living in the center of Silicon Valley, Jennifer was also keen not to publicte her problem by going to a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. 'I wanted to deal with the problem privately so I went to an acupuncturist with experience of drink and drug addictions. Even after just one session I felt a weight lift off me and I stopped drinking completely after a few weeks,' she says. 'Stress and drinking were interfering with my life far too much. I now feel fine, stress-free, and I never crave a drink at all.'