Nov. 30, 2010 (Chicago) -- Acupuncture works directly on the brain to alter the way we process and perceive pain, preliminary research suggests.

The 18-person study suggests that the ancient Chinese practice relieves pain, says study leader Nina Theysohn, MD, of the University Hospital in Essen, Germany.

Theysohn and colleagues used functional MRI scans to capture brain activity while participants received electrical currents from a device attached to their ankles.

Functional MRI allows doctors to look at how blood flow increases in response to brain activity.

Participants were shocked until they yelled out, “Uncle, my pain is an eight,” on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable, Theysohn tells WebMD.

Then, acupuncture needles were placed at three places on the right side: between the toes, below the knee, and near the thumb. Participants were zapped until their pain was an eight again and a second set of MRI scans was taken.