One of the funny things about being an acupuncturist is that I know this stuff works, but I just don't know exactly how it works!  Yes, of course I know how if I explain it in Chinese medicine terms ...  any disease is caused by blockages and imbalances of chi flowing through the body, and needles will release stagnations and balance the energy.  But how does that translate into modern terms?  What exactly is going on inside the body that those teeny tiny needles set off in order to treat depression, help heal broken bones, end constipation, etc, etc, etc? 

Therefore, it's always exciting when there's new information out explaining the effects acupuncture has on our body.  In this study from Wenjing Huang of Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany, he mapped the effects of 18 acupuncture points on the brain.  Through over 100 studies, the same certain areas of the brain were activated and deactivated upon the insertion of these 18 points.  For instance, vision related acupuncture points GB 37 and UB60, both found around the ankle, activated vision centers of the brain.  Just fascinating!  I don't know exactly how acupuncture works quite yet, but I'm pretty sure within my lifetime we're going to have an answer.