The 5,000-year-old Chinese art of acupuncture involves the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques-usually hair-thin metallic needles-to treat or prevent illness.

In 1997, after looking at thousands of studies and interviewing leading researchers, a panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health concluded that acupuncture is an effective treatment for nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, surgery in adults and post-operative dental pain.

Getting needled, the panel said, can also be helpful in combination with other therapies in the treatment of addictions, stroke rehabilitation, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.

A landmark study published in 2004 found that acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. And more recent research suggests it may help treat post-traumatic stress disorder and infertility.