Having needles poked into your body probably doesn't sound like much fun. I’m sure many of us can’t even handle the thought of getting a shot at the doctor’s office, but acupuncture is actually a widely practiced therapy for pain relief. You've probably heard of acupuncture. It likely conjures thoughts of an ancient Asian medicine man poking needles into people while burning incense in the background. The reality is a little different. While acupuncture does involve needles, you won’t need to find an ancient medicine man to complete the practice. There are countless acupuncture locations in Boston for you to go to.

Why choose acupuncture? Well the technique behind it is that it helps relieve pain by clearing imbalances in the flow of your "Qi", also known as chi. In traditional Chinese medicine, chi is considered to be your natural energy that flows throughout your body. Acupuncturists believe they can clear imbalances in your chi by placing thin needles in specific pressure points in your skin.

That's the idea behind it, but if you're still skeptical you could also get a free consultation beforehand. Acupuncture for Everyone is located in Copley Square and offers phone consultations to address your needs and find out if the treatment is right for you. It aims to help relieve symptoms from an array of illnesses that include migraines, stress, anxiety, as well as help manage pain. It is a FDA approved medical treatment and an acupuncturist has to attend four years of training to be certified.

According to Acupuncture for Everyone's website, acupuncture is not a substitute for standard biomedical treatments but it is a therapy to be supplemented with other forms of medicine. To ease your worry, the website also informs the potential client that acupuncture needles are very thin, "as thin as a hair" because unlike syringes, no fluid passes through the needle.

So if you have an ache, a pain, or maybe suffer from anxiety or stress, then take a chance with acupuncture. It may seem unconventional, but it could result in multiple health benefits.