TIME

Acupuncture, an ancient technique of traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used to treat chronic pain, and studies have suggested that it relieves symptoms at least slightly better than a placebo. When coupled with electric stimulation, the technique can work similarly to a more conventional therapy for pain relief called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). MORE FROM TIME.COM But exactly how acupuncture works is still largely unknown. Because it’s often difficult to measure Read the full story