Acupuncture isn't placebo. It's neuromodulation — and the research showing how is some of the most interesting science happening right now. Functional neurology scans have mapped areas of activity in the brain when acupuncture needles are inserted in specific locations. For most of acupuncture's 2,500-year history, the explanation for how it works was poetic: needles guide the flow of qi, balance yin and yang, open channels of energy. That language is beautiful — and to any
