Ear electro-acupuncture to treat addiction to nicotine. Acupuncture is based on a traditional Chinese treatment. Acupuncture points lie on lines (meridians) along which life energy (Qi) flows. Blocked lines cause disorders, which are treated by manual or electrical stimulation of needles that are inserted at specific points along the meridians. Modern science explains the effects by the release of endorphins (the body's painkillers) caused by the stimulation. Photographed at the AcuMedic Clinic, London, UK.