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This is Scientific America's 60-Second Science. I am Karen Hopkin. This’ll just take a minute.

Research on acupuncture¹ just got a shot in the arm. Well, a needle near the knee, actually. Because a study in the journal Nature Neuroscience has uncovered a mechanism² that could explain how this traditional healing process can help reduce pain.

Acupuncture has long been tried against all sorts of ailments³, from aches and pains to infertility⁴. And though the Western world treats the procedure with some skepticism, it’s actually endorsed⁵ by the World Health Organization for a couple dozen different conditions. But how can sticking needles in your skin be good for you?

Scientists tried the technique on mice that had a pain in the paw, inserting and rotating the needles in the mouse version of one of the most effective acupoints in Chinese medicine. And they found that the tissues around the treated acupoint get flooded with adenosine, a chemical that provides relief by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.

This biochemical blockade reduced the animals’ discomfort⁶, as did treating them with drugs that boost the amount of adenosine in the tissue. The scientists say the pain relief stems from the body’s natural response to minor⁷ tissue injury. So acupuncture’s analgesic⁸ effect may have finally been pinned down.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific America's 60-Second Science. I am Karen Hopkin.