bild

MODEL RELEASED. Acupuncture treatment. Close-up of the leg of a woman having acupuncture needles placed in her thigh. This traditional Chinese practice uses needles to restore the energy flow through acupuncture points on the skin. It is used to relieve pain and to treat a wide range of disorders. Modern Western medicine explains the pain-relieving effects as stimulation by the needles causing the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/THOMAS FREDBERG/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)